The aim of every authentic artist is not to conform to the history of art, but to release himself from it in order to replace it with his own history. Harold Rosenberg More Quotes by Harold Rosenberg More Quotes From Harold Rosenberg Only through apprehending, by means of present-day creations, how art is created, can the creations of other periods be genuinely appreciated. Harold Rosenberg appreciated mean art The internationalization of art becomes a factor contributing to the estrangement of art from the artist. The sum of works of all times and places stands against him as an entity with objectives and values of its own. In turn, since becoming aware of the organized body of artworks as the obstacle to his own aesthetic self-affirmation, the artist is pushed toward anti-intellectualism and willful dismissal of the art of the past. Harold Rosenberg self past art No degree of dullness can safeguard a work against the determination of critics to find it fascinating. Harold Rosenberg degrees critics determination The struggle to make an absolute statement in an individually conceived vocabulary accounts for the profound tensions inherent in the best modern work. Harold Rosenberg vocabulary struggle profound Greatness in art is always a by-product. Harold Rosenberg art-is greatness art For the artist, fulfillment of self consists not in marching in the ranks of the liberators but in being entered in the roll of the Masters. The artist tends to find himself in the position of a deserter from his social group or, at best, one who collaborates, with secret reservations. Harold Rosenberg artist self secret The artist is obliged to invent the self who will paint his pictures. Harold Rosenberg paint artist self In the United States, revolts tends to be directed against specific situations, rarely against the social structure as a whole. Harold Rosenberg united-states structure social If being an anti-art artist is difficult, being an anti-art art historian is a hard position indeed. His doctrinal revolutionism brings forth nothing new in art but reenacts upheavals on the symbolic plane of language. It provides the consoling belief that overthrows are occurring as in the past, that barriers to creation are being surmounted, and that art is pursuing a radical purpose, even if it is only the purpose of doing away with itself. Harold Rosenberg purpose past art They had enough. They wanted to enjoy their life. Harold Rosenberg had-enough enjoy enough life