--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I opened with Edward Kienholz's The…" description: "\"I opened with Edward Kienholz's The Beanery, and that's such a controversial piece that I think that brought people right away. It was a room-size work..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/virginia-dwan-29141_character_i-opened-with-edward-kienholz-s-the-bean_138064.jpg" --- # I opened with Edward Kienholz's The Beanery, and that's… ![“I opened with Edward Kienholz's The Beanery, and that's such a controversial piece that I think that brought people right away. It was a room-size work that one walked into. It was a bar with Kienholz-type figures sitting and drinking and talking - all life-size characters in a life-size setting…” quote by Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/virginia-dwan-29141_character_i-opened-with-edward-kienholz-s-the-bean_138064.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/virginia-dwan-29141_character_i-opened-with-edward-kienholz-s-the-bean_138064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/virginia-dwan-29141_character_i-opened-with-edward-kienholz-s-the-bean_138064.jpg) > “I opened with Edward Kienholz's The Beanery, and that's such a controversial piece that I think that brought people right away. It was a room-size work that one walked into. It was a bar with Kienholz-type figures sitting and drinking and talking - all life-size characters in a life-size setting. The exhibition was covered in Time, Newsweek, and Life, so it had huge recognition right away.” [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The controversial, immersive Beanery exhibition captured immediate public attention, using life‑size figures to provoke dialogue and media coverage. **In simple terms:** Controversial art draws quick interest. Key Takeaway Use bold concepts to engage audiences. Themes art controversy media public engagement Mood provocative curious Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - gallery openings - media campaigns - public reactions Key Concepts installation art cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What makes art provocative? - How does media shape perception? A Different Perspective Controversy may alienate some viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beanery Controversial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beanery-controversial-1566554/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Controversial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversial/) [Controversial Piece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversial-piece-1566555/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Edward Kienholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edward-kienholz-1566558/) [Exhibition Covered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhibition-covered-1566556/) [Opened Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opened-edward-1566557/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“You’ve lost blood and had your stitches redone. Do you think you can stay in here long enough for me to actually release you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/you-ve-lost-blood-and-had-your-stitches-redone-do-you-think-you-can/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I've been a very effective leader in the gay rights movement, though at times I've been controversial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-o-leary/i-ve-been-a-very-effective-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-though/) [Jean O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-o-leary/) > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) [S.F. Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-f-chandler/) > [ I curated this show \[Shanghai Biennale \], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-curated-this-show-shanghai-biennale-i-was-by-no-means-trying-to/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I get called 'controversial' all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-get-called-controversial-all-the-time/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [I was very willing to take on controversial roles that people didn't really want to look at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-perez/i-was-very-willing-to-take-on-controversial-roles-that-people-didn-t/) [Rosie Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-perez/) > [I think if I'm controversial it's not because I set out to be. 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What was important to me was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/quite-honestly-even-as-a-woman-dealer-i-really-wasn-t-interested-in/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) > [I think that Walter De Maria's Lightning Field, Michael Heizer's City, and Charles Ross's work in Star Axis New Mexico , all three will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/i-think-that-walter-de-maria-s-lightning-field-michael-heizer-s-city/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) > [I remember when I went to a gallery in Paris at one point, they had drawings of earthworks set in different places. I asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/i-remember-when-i-went-to-a-gallery-in-paris-at-one-point-they-had/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) > [The gallery closed its doors in 1971. I could no longer psychologically handle the needs of 12 artists. 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So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/had-opened-a-gallery-i-already-had-strong-connections-with-new-york/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) > [People tend to view land art as something that happened at a certain historical moment - like minimal art, which I was also very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/people-tend-to-view-land-art-as-something-that-happened-at-a-certain/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) > [I enjoyed cross-country road trips. And I found the work challenging because it was art that existed on the land rather than mere concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-dwan/i-enjoyed-cross-country-road-trips-and-i-found-the-work-challenging/) [Virginia Dwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) [Explore all 18 Virginia Dwan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-dwan/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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