Art Quote by Susan Sontag
“The quote is always fascinating because it changes out of context, becomes different and sometimes more mysterious. It has a directness and assertiveness it may not have had in the original. I think the quality of inaccessibility, the mystery, is important - that whatever matters can't be taken in on just one reading or one seeing. This is certainly a quality of the little of art that lasts.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: On Photography, Susan Sontag, 1977
A work gains new meaning when removed from its original setting, revealing hidden depths and mystery that demand multiple engagements.
In simple terms: Art changes meaning outside its original context, creating mystery.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper layers beyond first impressions.
Themes
interpretation
context
art
mystery
depth
Mood
curious
contemplative
analytical
Type
critical
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- museum visits
- reading literature
- film analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
semiotics
aesthetic experience
subjectivity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does context reshape your perception?
- When does mystery hinder understanding?
A Different Perspective
The mystery can obscure clarity, making meaning too elusive for some audiences.
![“[After her 18-day disappearance in 1974:] I love my husband very, very much, but he didn't ask me when he ran for mayor and he didn't consult me about running for governor. It would be nice to be asked. ... You know, I've been my mother's daughter, my father's daughter, the wife of my husband, the…” quote by Angela Alioto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a5a/angela-alioto-29373_ask-me_after-her-18-day-disappearance-in-1974-i_125354.jpg)
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
