Matei Calinescu Quotes & Sayings

While a forgery illegally exploits the elitist taste for rarity, a kitsch object insists on its anti elitist availability. The deceptive character of kitsch does not lie in whatever it may have in common with actual forgery but in its claim to supply its consumers with essentially the same kinds and qualities of beauty as those embodied in unique or rare and inaccessible originals. — Matei Calinescu

Kitsch may be conveniently defined as a specifically aesthetic form of lying. — Matei Calinescu

Don't we all have an itch for kitsch? — Matei Calinescu

Kitsch lends itself to a definition in terms of a systematic attempt to fly from daily reality: in time and in space. — Matei Calinescu

A real Rembrandt hung in a millionaire's home elevator would undoubtedly make for kitsch. — Matei Calinescu