Decoration is primarily concerned with superficialities—i.e. changing the surface of a thing, and not its substance—and must therefore occupy its own space separate from art...

Because most art relies upon sensorial cues, most art is a manifestation of empiricism. The senses form the tools that allow both the artist and the scientist to understand the nature of their subject. Observable data, and the interpretation of that observable data, is as fundamental to an artist as it is to a scientist.

Spontaneity, intuition, happenstance, instinct, and even occasional dumb luck are often valued highly by artists, but only insofar as these things can be utilized to serve a larger, deliberative vision. All art is intentional, not incidental, and therefore art does not happen by accident, even if artists are willing to exploit accidents.

When we ask ourselves, “What is it that makes one work of art good and another bad?” we might initially wonder if there is any satisfactory answer. Upon mature consideration, however, we can at least conclude with a reasonable degree of certitude that since the function of art is to unearth some particle of truth, good art must be good in consequence of its revelatory capacity, and bad art must be bad, conversely, because of its failure to engender revelation.

...[E]ntertainment differs from art in that it manufactures experiences that cause us to forget, whereas art is preoccupied with creating experiences that allow us to remember.

If art were everything, it would be a good evil, a worthless treasure, a virtuous vice, a healthy sickness, and a meaningful meaninglessness.