The artist is a kind of prison from which the works of art escape.
JEAN COCTEAUBeauty cannot be recognized with a cursory glance.
More Jean Cocteau Quotes
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It is excruciating to be an unbeliever with a spirit that is deeply religious.
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Man seeks to escape himself in myth, and does so by any means at his disposal. Drugs, alcohol, or lies. Unable to withdraw into himself, he disguises himself. Lies and inaccuracy give him a few moments of comfort.
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Every day in the mirror I watch death at work.
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We are in a period of such individualism that one no longer speaks of disciples; one speaks of thieves.
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Appreciation of art is a moral erection, otherwise mere dilettantism.
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Never do what a specialist can do better. Discover your own specialty. Do not despair if your specialty appears to be more delicate, a lesser thing. Make up in finesse what you lose in force.
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The eyes of the dead are closed gently; we also have to open gently the eyes of the living.
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Elegance ceases to exist when it is noticed.
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A film is a petrified fountain of thought.
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When I write, I disturb. When I show a film, I disturb. When I exhibit my painting, I disturb, and I disturb if I don’t. I have a knack for disturbing.
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Continue reading Proust. His magnificent intelligence is particularly fond of describing stupidity. Which is ultimately exhausting.
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I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.
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Mirrors should think longer before they reflect.
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It is not I who become addicted, it is my body.
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The only way to kill death is through photography.
JEAN COCTEAU






