Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Robert Charles Hughes was an Australian-born British art critic, author, and television presenter. He is also known as Bob Hughes.
Birth and Death Dates
Hughes was born on July 28, 1938 in Sydney, Australia. He passed away on August 6, 2012, at the age of 74, due to complications from a stroke.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Hughes held dual citizenship of Australia and the United Kingdom. Throughout his career, he worked as an art critic for various publications, including _The Times_ and _Time Magazine_. He also presented several television documentaries on art and culture.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Sydney, Hughes developed a passion for art and literature at a young age. His mother was a pianist, and his father was a stockbroker with a love for poetry. Hughes' family moved to England when he was 14 years old, which exposed him to the world of European culture and art.
Major Accomplishments
Hughes is best known for his groundbreaking television series _The Shock of the New_, which explored the development of modern art from the Impressionists to the Pop Artists. He also wrote several influential books on art, including _The Art of Australia_ and _Heaven and Hell in Western Art_. Hughes was a prominent figure in the British art world, known for his sharp wit and incisive critiques.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to his television series and books, Hughes was also a prolific writer of essays and articles on art and culture. His writing often tackled complex and contentious topics, such as the role of museums and galleries in society. He was a fierce advocate for the importance of art education and accessibility.
Impact and Legacy
Hughes' impact on the art world is still felt today. His television series and books have been widely acclaimed and continue to be studied by art historians and enthusiasts alike. As an art critic, he was known for his ability to distill complex ideas into clear and concise language, making him a beloved figure among both art professionals and laypeople.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Hughes is remembered as one of the most influential art critics of the 20th century. His writing and television work continue to be widely quoted and referenced in discussions about modern art. His passion for art education and accessibility has inspired a new generation of art enthusiasts and professionals. As a testament to his enduring legacy, Hughes' quotes on art and culture remain relevant today, offering insights into the human experience that transcend time and context.
As a champion of art's role in society, Hughes left behind a rich cultural inheritance. His love for the complexities and nuances of art continues to inspire and educate audiences around the world. Through his work, he reminds us that art is not just a reflection of our times but also a catalyst for change and growth.
Quotes by Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes's insights on:
He had been always escaping, always rebelling, always fighting against authority, and always being flogged. There had been a whole lifetime of torment such as this; forty-two years of it; and there he stood, speaking softly, arguing his case well, and pleading while the tears ran down his face for some kindness, for some mercy in his old age. ‘I have tried to escape; always to escape,’ he said, ’as a bird does out of a cage. Is that unnatural; is that a great crime?
Kahn once said, “The creation of art is not the fulfillment of a need but the creation of a need. The world never needed Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony until he created it. Now we could not live without it.
Nothing dates faster than people’s fantasies about the future. This is what you get when perfectly decent, intelligent and talented men start thinking in terms of space, rather than place, and about single rather than multiple meanings. It’s what you get when you design for political aspirations and not real human needs. You get miles of jerry-built platonic nowhere infested with Volkswagens.
The failure of language – the tyranny of moral generalization over social inspection – fed the ruling class’s belief that it was endangered from below.
Perhaps the rhinos and she-crocodiles whose gyrations between Mortimer’s and East Hampton gives us our vision of social eminence today are content to entrust their faces to Andy Warhol’s mingily cosmetic Polaroidising, but one would bet they would rather go to Sargent.
Political stress is always apt to shrink the private arena and attach it on to the public.
Indeed, the idea that doubt can be heroic, if it is locked into a structure as grand as that of the paintings of Cezanne’s old age, is one of the keys to our century. A touchstone of modernity itself.
One gets tired of the role critics are supposed to have in this culture: It’s like being the piano player in a whorehouse; you don’t have any control over the action going on upstairs.