It's so warm it's almost friendly. A friendly work of art. I've never thought such a thing in my life. And look at it. It's never sentimental. It's generous, but it's sardonic too. And whenever it's sardonic, a moment later it's generous again.

Ali Smith
About This Quote

The quote from the painter is from his book, "Letters from an Exhibition." In this quote, the artist says that a work of art is a product of its time. It is a work of art because it has no style. The artist wants to be useful and have a lasting impact on the world. A work of art can be both beautiful and mean, but not sentimental.

The artist also says that a work of art must be generous but sardonic at the same time. In other words, he wants to make people happy while making them laugh. He can create shock and awe, but he cannot allow himself to become sentimental.

He also understands that he must eventually become generous again with his humor.

Source: How To Be Both

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