Ben Shahn "The Education of an Artist" (1956/7)
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It [art] communicates directly without asking approval of any authority. Its values are not those of set virtues, but are of the essential nature of man, good or bad. Art is one of the few media of expression which still remains unedited, unprocessed, and undictated. If its hazards are great, so are its potentialities magnificent.

— Ben Shahn on Art

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It [art] communicates directly without asking approval of any authority. Its values are not those of set virtues, but are of the essential nature of man, good or bad. Art is one of the few media of expression which still remains unedited, unprocessed, and undictated. If its hazards are great, so are its potentialities magnificent." in the context of "Ben Shahn "The Education of an Artist" (1956/7)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Art" (S) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Ben Shahn

About Ben Shahn

Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 – March 14, 1969) was an American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content.