Michael Kimmelman Quotes & Sayings

Out of routine comes inspiration. That's the idea, anyway. To grasp what's exceptional, you first have to know what's routine. — Michael Kimmelman

Under ordinary circumstances, bad art naturally gets sorted out and disappears. That is how history works when it is left alone to do its job. The paradox of the culture wars is that they have made celebrities out of some artists who would otherwise vanish. Censorship has become a growth industry. This may be the best argument, in the end, for unfettered freedom of expression. — Michael Kimmelman

Everything, even the most ordinary daily affair, is enriched by the lessons that can be gleaned from art ... — Michael Kimmelman

The consolation of art comes in many forms ... For some it is making, for others it is having. — Michael Kimmelman

It's not that there is no such thing as truth. But we come to like and trust a certain story, not because it's necessarily the most absolutely truthful, but because it's a thing that we tell ourselves makes sense of the world, at least at this moment. — Michael Kimmelman

Art is not just about what's great or expensive or scandalous or famous. It's a mirror we hold up that looks different to everyone who sees it, and whose beauty lies as much in us, and our capacity to dream ... — Michael Kimmelman

All writers, all storytellers, are imposing their own narrative on something. — Michael Kimmelman

Art provides us with clues about how to live our lives more fully ... about how creating, collecting, and even just appreciating art can make daily living a masterpiece. — Michael Kimmelman

Art, not unlike raising children ... may entail much sacrifice and periods of despair, but, with luck, the effort will produce something that outlives you. — Michael Kimmelman

Drawing used to be a civilized thing to do, like reading and writing. It was taught in elementary schools. It was democratic. It was a boon to happiness. — Michael Kimmelman

[Robert Rauschenberg, 1925-2008] helped to obscure the lines between painting and sculpture, painting and photography, photography and printmaking, sculpture and photography, sculpture and dance, sculpture and technology, technology and performance art - not to mention between art and life. — Michael Kimmelman