“White Star,” soft pastel on sandpaper, 38″ x 58″

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on.

… many tools may share qualities of fine design with works of art.  We are in the presence of a work of art only when it has no preponderant instrumental use, and when its technical and rational foundations are not pre-eminent.  When the technical organization or the rational order of a thing overwhelms our attention, it is an object of use.  On this point Lodoli anticipated the doctrine of functionalists of our century when he declared in the eighteenth century that only the necessary is beautiful.  Kant, however, more correctly said on the same point that the necessary cannot be judged beautiful, but only right or consistent.  In short, a work of art is as useless as a tool is useful.  Works of art are as unique and irreplaceable as tools are common and expendable. 

George Kubler in The Shape of Time:  Remarks on the History of Things

Comments are welcome!