Picasso was wrong. Or maybe he was being cheeky when he famously proclaimed that “great artists steal”. Yes, Picasso doesn’t just speak. He proclaims.
The full quote attributed to him goes: “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” However, art historians have confirmed beyond doubt that Picasso didn’t proclaim that, though he did proclaim a lot of other things. Apparently, this is a proverb that is as old as culture. The poet T S Eliot is also believed to have some part in its authorship, but we can’t say for sure. What he said is longer and more difficult to negotiate:
“Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.”
Actually, it was Steve Jobs who popularized this quote in the mid 90s. As you know, Steve Jobs also liked to proclaim stuff like Picasso. As the comedian Bill Burr pointed out, Steve Jobs basically had a chorus of scientists to help him “invent” things like the iPhone, which is arguably the most popular accessory of snobbery around the world. Jobs merely gave an outline of what he wanted, and the real nerds had to get it done or face his wrath. Hence, Bill Burr doesn’t think Jobs is anything to write home about. Many find this view concerning, especially designers—graphic and otherwise. That is because many of them “borrow” ideas with impunity, and are crabby about giving credit.
Ad agency sharks also swear by Jobs, and they have a good reason — he had the vision of a great sales and marketing person who can make you want what you do not need. Jobs knows the value of good copy, like that famous “here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits” kind. He used it exceedingly well to make conformists feel unique. He made convention sound like rebellion.
Coming back to the quote that Picasso did not proclaim, there is truth to it, but not in an obvious way. If the IQ levels in a room aren’t above room temperature, the people in there may not get it. Which is why this misattributed quote must be peddled around more carefully, or the mediocre folks will weaponize it to pass off poor, cannibalized work as art.
“Copying” here simply means trying to do something as well as a master artist. If you copied the Mona Lisa once daily, you would definitely get good at drawing and painting. You will definitely have Mona, if not Lisa, in your work. It will help you imbibe discipline, if not a vision.
While the “stealing” part was used by Jobs to talk about the casual pilfering of ideas that went on in the tech world to create products like the Macintosh computer, in the art world it is a whole lot different.
Whoever came up with this quote, this venerable ancestor actually meant that, in order to create good art, you learn tricks, techniques, secrets and other frills from various sources or masters, and then reveal the essence of your vision and instinct via them in a way that is unique and self-contained, like a Giorgio Morandi painting. Even Van Gogh took a few tricks from Millet.
Vincent Van Gogh & Jean-François Millet
However, there is one thing that cannot be “stolen”, and that is vision and passion. How you see the world will come through in your art. Which means, if you aren’t really looking and observing your truth, that will be revealed in your work as well.
It is time to rework this misattributed quote from the annals of internet art folklore. Reduced attention spans today demand simplification for correct understanding.
I wonder how I could simplify it. One line that comes to mind is, “Good artists work. Great artists work harder. And often.” It is a rather idealistic take, but a little idealism is good for the soul. If you are not in the mood for idealism, you could also hire a PR team and go to the right parties. With the kind of constant information explosion around us, if you steal, you will get caught and that will tamper with your credibility. In short, the quote should probably simply say: “Great artists don’t steal. They learn.” I find that elegant.
As for inspiration, it is a fickle thing. It will come and go. It is not a euphemism for stealing. You can transform something, but lifting verbatim is lazy.
Eventually, your vision and the kind of person you truly are will decide how this quote should be like. An extrovert like Dali might say something grandiloquent, a reclusive person might say something quieter. So, whatever you do, do your own thing. Great artists don’t steal. They stay true to their vision. Like Morandi.
Former Editor at Abir Pothi
