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Wednesday, Apr 18, 2001
April 18, 2001
Quotations
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
--William Blake
Just recently I thought to do a web search on this guy. I learned that he made a number of pithy comments which resonate with me. Here’s another:
Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.
--William Blake 1757-1827
While at the SF MOMA this weekend, I came across an interesting quotation. Slacker D may have a mission statement ...
I pursue no objectives, no system, no tendency.
I have no program, no style, no direction. I
like the indefinite, the boundless; I like continual
uncertainty.
--Gerhard Richter
Looking at SF MOMA's sample of Richter's body of work, I take this statement with a grain of salt. He was an accomplished artist who didn't want to be categorized. The range of styles in the exhibit included abstract impressionism, minimalism, and photo realism.
Richter lived in East Germany during the early part of the Cold War. This was a society which held, as does Jesse Helms, that art should serve the aspirations of the government. Perhaps this statement devoid of context is best understood as a reaction to the those who wish to put art and artists into easily organized compartments.
That being said, I really savor the attitude "Screw your preconceptions, I'll do what I like!"