--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an art history major, but never…" description: "\"I was an art history major, but never specifically contemporary. I would say where I really stopped were the abstract expressionists in the New York sc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/630/vera-wang-5138_abstract_i-was-an-art-history-major-but-never-spe_2522080.jpg" --- # I was an art history major, but never specifically… ![“I was an art history major, but never specifically contemporary. I would say where I really stopped were the abstract expressionists in the New York school.” quote by Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/630/vera-wang-5138_abstract_i-was-an-art-history-major-but-never-spe_2522080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/630/vera-wang-5138_abstract_i-was-an-art-history-major-but-never-spe_2522080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/630/vera-wang-5138_abstract_i-was-an-art-history-major-but-never-spe_2522080.jpg) > “I was an art history major, but never specifically contemporary. I would say where I really stopped were the abstract expressionists in the New York school.” [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She shifted focus from art history to fashion, moving away from abstract expressionism toward practical design. **In simple terms:** She left art history for fashion design. Key Takeaway Embrace change and follow your passion. Themes career transition art fashion personal growth Mood reflective inspirational Type personal career When to use this quote - career counseling - creative projects - educational choices - personal branding Key Concepts abstract expressionism new york school design thinking Questions to Reflect On - How did your education shape your design aesthetic? - What motivated the shift? A Different Perspective May limit understanding of contemporary art trends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Abstract Expressionists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract-expressionists-1025424/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-history/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary/) [Expressionists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressionists-1025426/) [Expressionists New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressionists-new-1259951/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Specifically Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specifically-contemporary-1259952/) [Stopped Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopped-abstract-1259953/) ## Related quotes > [And also the new excitement and variety of ways that the abstract expressionists were applying paint. You could put it on as though it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rauschenberg/and-also-the-new-excitement-and-variety-of-ways-that-the-abstract/) [Robert Rauschenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rauschenberg/) > [I've always had an artistic hand. I took on paint when I started falling in love with the abstract expressionists. I approached it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-zane/i-ve-always-had-an-artistic-hand-i-took-on-paint-when-i-started/) [Billy Zane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-zane/) > [I admire the abstract expressionists and pop artists so right now I'm referencing American '60s art and at the same time referencing Japanese manga…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/i-admire-the-abstract-expressionists-and-pop-artists-so-right-now-i-m/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) > [I don't think that my art isn't serious. I think the subjects are not serious, or my treatments of the subjects are not serious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/i-don-t-think-that-my-art-isn-t-serious-i-think-the-subjects-are-not/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [These days people believe they can go into art and make a living. We didn't have that. The abstract expressionists were older, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brice-marden/these-days-people-believe-they-can-go-into-art-and-make-a-living-we/) [Brice Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brice-marden/) > [If you look on the history of art you observe how the most popular forms trample the rest. The abstract expressionists destroyed figurative work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edward/if-you-look-on-the-history-of-art-you-observe-how-the-most-popular/) [Mark Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edward/) > [The abstract expressionists had that thing of, subject matter becomes content, content becomes form. And I always thought there was no room for style.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/the-abstract-expressionists-had-that-thing-of-subject-matter-becomes/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [The only other things I got from the abstract expressionists is the absolute belief that this canvas is the complete total area of struggle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-siskind/the-only-other-things-i-got-from-the-abstract-expressionists-is-the/) [Aaron Siskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-siskind/) > [Actually, I love the Abstract Expressionists - or I like the ones I like, anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/actually-i-love-the-abstract-expressionists-or-i-like-the-ones-i-like/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [As a result of World War II, European artists migrated to America, enlarging the scene and diminishing Paris as the center. America was beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/as-a-result-of-world-war-ii-european-artists-migrated-to-america/) [Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/) > [The pop artists did images that anybody walking down Broadway could recognize in a split second — comics, picnic tables, men’s trousers, celebrities, shower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/the-pop-artists-did-images-that-anybody-walking-down-broadway-could/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Those damned Abstract Expressionists. They were a major problem. Because the critics adored them to such an extent, reams and reams, pages and pages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-indiana/those-damned-abstract-expressionists-they-were-a-major-problem/) [Robert Indiana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-indiana/) > [Picasso and Matisse were the guys I wanted to get away from, and cubism is all still lifes. Their paintings are all closed drawings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/picasso-and-matisse-were-the-guys-i-wanted-to-get-away-from-and/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [Unlike the expressionists, I have never been interested in renewing the world through the vehicle of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-baselitz/unlike-the-expressionists-i-have-never-been-interested-in-renewing/) [Georg Baselitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-baselitz/) > [The Italian futurists, the German expressionists, and the British vorticists were fascinated by speed and the ways the modern world was shattering conventions. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/the-italian-futurists-the-german-expressionists-and-the-british/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) ## More by Vera Wang > [The intricate engraving, fine lines, beading and milgrain accents echo an era defined by elaborate embellishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/the-intricate-engraving-fine-lines-beading-and-milgrain-accents-echo/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I wanted to define the vocabulary of a wedding both visually and intellectually. The book is about more than weddings or wedding dresses. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-wanted-to-define-the-vocabulary-of-a-wedding-both-visually-and/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I've been designing since I was 8. I started sketching dresses I could wear when skating. I was always involved in all aspects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-ve-been-designing-since-i-was-8-i-started-sketching-dresses-i-could/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [New York for me is about work. If L.A. were to become a West Coast version of that, I'd shoot myself. The climate, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/new-york-for-me-is-about-work-if-l-a-were-to-become-a-west-coast/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [As the mother of two daughters, I have great respect for women. And I don't ever want to lose that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/as-the-mother-of-two-daughters-i-have-great-respect-for-women-and-i/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I brought color to bridal. There was one whole season of blush. If you think about the bareness, the illusion (fabric), the corsets that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-brought-color-to-bridal-there-was-one-whole-season-of-blush-if-you/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I don't live through my kids. But I do know what will happen in life, and I just want them well prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-don-t-live-through-my-kids-but-i-do-know-what-will-happen-in-life/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [Just because you're from a city ten miles outside of St. Paul. It doesn't mean you don't read magazines, or the incredible Internet, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/just-because-you-re-from-a-city-ten-miles-outside-of-st-paul-it-doesn/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [It takes tremendous will to compete in any athletic endeavor, so it meant going to bed early and getting my homework done in advance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/it-takes-tremendous-will-to-compete-in-any-athletic-endeavor-so-it/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [Bridal is always about who you are as a person and as a woman and as a lover and as a mate. People always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/bridal-is-always-about-who-you-are-as-a-person-and-as-a-woman-and-as/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [Every woman hates her own body. I don't know a woman who doesn't . . . well, I do know a few who love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/every-woman-hates-her-own-body-i-don-t-know-a-woman-who-doesn-t-well/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I'm only waiting for Lindsay Lohan's fashion collection to come out. Ten years from now, there may be no real designers left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-m-only-waiting-for-lindsay-lohan-s-fashion-collection-to-come-out/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I work with structure, but I go outside the box and give it my own spin. I adore the challenge of creating truly modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-work-with-structure-but-i-go-outside-the-box-and-give-it-my-own/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [I never thought I'd be successful. It seems in my own mind that in everything I've undertaken I've never quite made the mark. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-never-thought-i-d-be-successful-it-seems-in-my-own-mind-that-in/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [It's hard to juggle being a businessperson with being a creative person. You have to organize yourself - PR needs me for PR, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/it-s-hard-to-juggle-being-a-businessperson-with-being-a-creative/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) [Explore all 103 Vera Wang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was an art history major, but never specifically contemporary. 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