“The great work of art is the complete banality, and the fault with most banalities is that they are not banal enough. Banality here is not infinite in its depth and consequence, but rests on a foundation of spirituality and aesthetics.”

—  Asger Jorn

1940 - 1948, Intimate Banalities' (1941)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The great work of art is the complete banality, and the fault with most banalities is that they are not banal enough. B…" by Asger Jorn?
Asger Jorn photo
Asger Jorn 48
Danish artist 1914–1973

Related quotes

Orson Scott Card photo
Cesare Pavese photo

“The most banal thing, discovered in ourselves, becomes intensely interesting. It is no longer an abstract banality, but an amazing co-ordination between reality and our own individuality.”

Cesare Pavese (1908–1950) Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and translator

This Business of Living (1935-1950)

Julia Child photo
Helmut Newton photo

“Since the commercialization and banality of editorial magazine pages have made this work uninteresting, advertising has become an increasingly important part of my work.”

Helmut Newton (1920–2004) German-Australian photographer

American Photo (January/February 2000), p. 90
Context: Since the commercialization and banality of editorial magazine pages have made this work uninteresting, advertising has become an increasingly important part of my work. It is interesting to compare European and American mores in regard to my work. One will notice that most of my European images have a stronger sexual content that those destined for American publication. The term "political correctness" has always appalled me, reminding me of Orwell's "Thought Police" and fascist regimes.

Philip D. Zelikow photo

“One reason you tend to doubt conspiracy theories when you've worked in government is because you know government is not nearly competent enough to carry off elaborate theories. It's a banal explanation, but imagine how efficient it would need to be.”

Philip D. Zelikow (1954) American diplomat

Quoted in [Conspiracy Theories Flourish on the Internet, Morello, Carol, The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13059-2004Oct6.html, 2004-10-07, B1]

Paddy Chayefsky photo

“We shall never end wars, Mrs. Barham, by blaming it on the ministers and generals, or warmongering imperialists, or all the other banal bogeys. It's the rest of us who build statues to those generals and name boulevards after those ministers.”

Paddy Chayefsky (1923–1981) American playwright, screenwriter and novelist

Lt. Cmdr. Charles E. Madison.
The Americanization of Emily (1964)
Context: We shall never end wars, Mrs. Barham, by blaming it on the ministers and generals, or warmongering imperialists, or all the other banal bogeys. It's the rest of us who build statues to those generals and name boulevards after those ministers. The rest of us who make heroes of our dead and shrines of our battlefields. We wear our widow's weeds like nuns, Mrs. Barham, and perpetuate war by exalting its sacrifices.

Edouard Manet photo
Alexis De Tocqueville photo
Roderick Long photo
Julie Taymor photo

Related topics