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Roberta Smith Quotes

Powerful Roberta Smith for Daily Growth

About Roberta Smith

Roberta Smith, born on December 19, 1957, is an influential American art critic, curator, and educator, best known for her work as a senior art critic at The New York Times. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Smith attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting in 1980. Her formative years were spent immersed in the vibrant art scene of Providence, which played a significant role in shaping her perspective and understanding of art. Smith began her career as an art critic at Art in America magazine in 1985. In 1999, she moved to The New York Times, where she has been a senior art critic since then. Her incisive reviews and insightful commentary have made her one of the most respected voices in the contemporary art world. Smith's works are characterized by her ability to engage with a wide range of art forms, from painting and sculpture to performance art and digital media. She has been particularly influential in bringing attention to emerging artists and trends in contemporary art. Some of her notable works include "The Strange Case of the New York Art World," a 2016 essay that explored the state of the art world, and "Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction," an exhibition she curated at the Museum of Modern Art in 2017. In addition to her work as a critic, Smith has taught at several institutions, including Bard College, Yale University, and The Cooper Union. She continues to be a leading voice in the art world, shaping critical discourse and influencing artistic practice with her incisive insights and keen eye for talent.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Art is what makes life more interesting than science."

This quote highlights the subjective, emotional, and imaginative nature of art compared to science. While science focuses on facts, numbers, and objective truths, art offers us a way to explore and express our human experiences, emotions, and creativity. In essence, art adds an element of beauty, wonder, and interest to life that cannot be measured or explained by scientific methods alone. Art allows us to see the world from different perspectives and connect with each other on a deeper level.

"Art has the power to make people see with its own eyes."

This quote highlights the unique, transformative ability of art. It suggests that art can enable individuals to perceive reality from a fresh perspective - not just through their own personal lens, but through the "eyes" of the artist as well. In other words, it invites us to experience and understand the world in a way we might not have considered before, broadening our minds and enhancing our empathy and understanding towards others.

"Good art can be an experience of revelation and wonder, a catalyst for thought and feeling."

This quote by Roberta Smith emphasizes the transformative power of good art. It suggests that art has the ability to provoke deep emotional responses, stimulate thoughts, and spark insights in individuals. Essentially, great art can be a source of profound revelation and wonder, pushing boundaries of understanding and evoking feelings that might otherwise remain hidden or unexplored. In this way, it serves as a catalyst for personal growth and intellectual development.

"The art world is full of fascinating characters and oddballs."

This quote highlights the intriguing and unconventional nature of individuals who are active in the art world. It suggests that the art community is populated with captivating personalities, often characterized by their unique perspectives, non-traditional ideas, or idiosyncratic behaviors. The "oddballs" referenced underscore the creative and sometimes eccentric qualities that these individuals may possess. This quote invites us to appreciate the rich diversity within the art world, which enriches our understanding of human expression and artistic innovation.

"Great artists are those who do their work with the greatest love."

This quote suggests that the defining characteristic of great artists is not just their technical skill, but also their passion or love for their work. The deep affection they have for their craft infuses their art with emotion, originality, and a level of quality that sets them apart from others. In essence, the love an artist has for their work is what truly makes them great.

Thanks to a hacker known as Guccifer who wormed into the computer of the 43rd president's sister, the world has learned that George W. Bush is an amateur - I would say serious amateur - painter.

- Roberta Smith

George W. Bush, Learned, Amateur

Performa's founder and prime mover, Roselee Goldberg, has great instincts for which artists might collaborate well together.

- Roberta Smith

Founder, Prime, Which, Collaborate

A certain rough-around-the-edges improvisational looseness - a sense of something coming together before your eyes, or not quite - may be one of the things that distinguishes performance art from theater.

- Roberta Smith

Art, May, One Of The Things, Distinguishes

You never know when contemporary art is going to insinuate itself into a normally art-free zone.

- Roberta Smith

Art, Going, Contemporary Art, Normally

The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses, poetry, quilts, fishing. If we're lucky, we all have at least one.

- Roberta Smith

Lucky, Opaque, Thus, Roses

I am a noncook, although I'm very interested and have a large collection of cookbooks.

- Roberta Smith

I Am, Very, Although, Cookbooks

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