Art Quote by Susan Sontag
“Today is such a time, when the project of interpretation is largely reactionary, stifling. Like the fumes of the automobile and of heavy industry which befoul the urban atmosphere, the effusion of interpretations of art today poisons our sensibilities. In a culture whose already classical dilemma is the hypertrophy of the intellect at the expense of energy and sensual capability, interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art.”
About This Quote
Contemporary art criticism is dominated by intellectual analysis that suppresses sensory experience, reducing art to a battle of ideas.
In simple terms: Art criticism now favors intellect over feeling.
Key Takeaway
Rebalance analysis with sensory appreciation.
Themes
art criticism
intellectualism
culture
sensuality
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- museum visits
- art education
- creative practice
- public discourse
Key Concepts
aesthetics
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you experience art more fully?
- What role should intellect play in art appreciation?
A Different Perspective
Intellectual focus can deepen understanding despite sensory loss.
![“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)
