87 Quotes by Anthony Marais

The closer art reflects reality, the less artistic it becomes. Art is most enticing when it mimics life as a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing. The contrary is always a grave disappointment.

Art is aesthetic communication of the soul—in fact, it’s the best of that communication—and taken in its entirety has formed a body of work to stand alongside Science and Religion as one of the three great constructs of culture to aid the individual in his or her struggle to survive in Nature.

Modernity of form is the style of old fogies yet to be.

Fireworks: we shoot them off gaily while our dogs hide under the bed. Philosophers are dogs!

The profound experience of childbirth does not produce profound people. If this were so, the guy with ten kids would be a prophet and priests would be out of work.

There may be deep thought, but deep people don’t exist. Our bodies must float on the surface, otherwise we drown.

The key to writing is something to be stolen. How else does one open the door to a house of thieves?

So many dream of travel without having an idea of its reality: a language sounds exotic only when you don’t understand it, and a culture appears better than your own only when you aren’t in it.

Our most cultural state is one of total certainty—which is the reason those of us who are most certain are those who are most out of touch with nature (i.e., reality).