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Quote by Lewis Hyde

“All that we make and do is shaped by the communities and traditions that contain us, not to mention by money, power, politics, and luck. And even should the artist or scientist think she has extracted herself from the world to stand alone in the studio, a tremendous array of faculties and mind-states may well attend her creativity.”

Quote by Lewis Hyde

Book:Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership
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Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership

This book delves into the multifaceted role of air in history, culture, and society, tracing its impact on revolutionary movements, artistic expression, and the legal and ethical dimensions of ownership. more

Author

Lewis Hyde
Lewis Hyde

Lewis Hyde is an American essayist and poet, known for his profound reflections on creativity, culture, and society. His work delves into the lives and work of artists, as well as the role of art in society. more

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Book:The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World
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“Unlike the sale of a commodity, the giving of a gift tends to establish a relationship between the parties involved. When gifts circulate within a group, their commerce leaves a series of interconnected relationships in its wake, and a kind of decentralized cohesiveness emerges.”

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“What is it about a work of art, even when it is bought and sold in the market, that makes us distinguish it from . . . pure commodities? A work of art is a gift, not a commodity. . . works of art exist simultaneously in two “economies”, a market economy and a gift economy. Only one of these is essential, however: a work of art can survive without the market, but where there is no gift, there is no art.”

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“The gift moves towards the empty place. As it turns in its circle it turns towards him who has been empty-handed the longest, and if someone appears elsewhere whose need is greater it leaves its old channel and moves toward him. Our generosity may leave us empty, but our emptiness then pulls gently at the whole until the thing in motion returns to replenish us. Social nature abhors a vacuum.”

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Book:The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World
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