The desire to be primitive was very much a function of fin-de-siecle imperialism; it appealed to strong egos and domineering minds.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The desire to appear primitive was used to justify imperialist power and ego.
- In plain terms
- Rich people liked primitive art to feel powerful and in control.
- What can you take from it?
- Aesthetic trends can serve political and egoistic goals.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does power shape taste?
- What does art reveal about ego?
Another view
This may oversimplify individual artists' intentions.
More from Robert Hughes
In America, nostalgia for things is apt to set in before they go.
Permalink to quote #6 Far from affording artists continuous inspiration, mass-media sources for art have become a dead end. They have combined with the abstractness of institutional…
Permalink to quote #8 The essential difference between a sculpture like Andre's Equivalent VIII, 1978, and any that had existed before in the past is that Andre's array of bricks de…
Permalink to quote #5
Related quotes
The Blessings-of-Civilization Trust, wisely and cautiously administered, is a Daisy. There is more money in it, more territory, more sovereignty, and other kin…
Mark TwainMark Twain quote #39 If you want to maintain the superiority of your state at the present time, you must quickly enter into a coalition with Germany and Italy and thus restrain Eur…
Koki HirotaKoki Hirota quote #1 In the popular political imagination we're familiar with the neocons as conniving militarists, masters of intrigue and cabals, graspers for the oil supplies of…
Joshua Micah MarshallJoshua Micah Marshall quote #1