The artist is the only person; his antennae pick up these messages before anybody. So he is always thought of as being way ahead of his time because he lives in the present. (1970)
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Artists sense changes before others, so they seem ahead of their time because they live fully in the present.
- In plain terms
- Artists notice new things early and seem future-focused by living now.
- What can you take from it?
- Artists detect change early by staying present.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do artists influence your view of the future?
- What does living in the present look like to you?
Another view
Not all artists predict the future or live entirely in the present.
More from Marshall McLuhan
The American bureaucracy ... was set up for very slow speeds of the printed word and railways. At electric speeds, nothing in the USA makes sense. (1970)
Permalink to quote #63 What is very little understood about the electronic age is that it angelizes man, disembodies him. Turns him into software. (1971)
Permalink to quote #65 'The future masters of technology will have to be light-hearted and intelligent. The machine easily masters the grim and the dumb.' (1969)
Permalink to quote #62
Related quotes
Ars longa, vita brevis.
HoraceHorace quote #41 What the artist wishes to do - as far as you are concerned - is to take you out of yourself. As far as he is concerned, he wishes to express himself.
Ford Madox FordFord Madox Ford quote #1 Music has taken a bad turn; these young people have no idea how to write a melody, they just give us shavings, which they dress up to look like a lion's mane a…
Richard WagnerRichard Wagner quote #2