Quotes About Symbolism

Christ rode on an ass, but now asses ride on Christ.

Artists don't make objects. Artists make mythologies.

Mythological thinking cannot be superseded, because it forms the framework and context for all thinking

Bodies are visible hieroglyphs. Every body is an erotic metaphor, and the meaning of all these metaphors is always the same: death.

a silent concave of puppet buffoons neither eagles nor jaguars buzzard lawyers locuses wings of ink sawing mindibles ventriloquist coyotes peddlers of shadows beneficent satraps the cacomistle thief of hens the monument to the Rattle and its snake the altar to the mauser and the machete the mausoleum of the epauletted cayman rhetoric sculpted in phrases of cement

The associations of signs, whether it be strong or weak, is what distinguishes us humans from the other animals. Rather, it is what makes us complex, problematical, and unpredictable beings.

man, tree of images, words which are flowers become fruits which are deeds.

La fotografía es un arte poético porque, al mostrarnos "esto", alude o presenta a "aquello". Comunicación continua entre lo explícito y lo implícito, lo ya visto y lo no visto. El dominio propio de la fotografía, como arte, no es distinto al de la poesía: lo impalpable y lo imaginario.

every physical encounter has a metaphysical meaning.

I don't want to be a tree, I want to be its meaning.

Ben bir a?ac?n kendisi de?il, manas? olmak istiyorum.

yo no quiero ser un árbol, sino su significado.

He was a poet and, as he himself had written—in an early poem still largely unknown to Turkish readers—it snows only once in our dreams.

I don't want to be a tree; I want to be its meaning. — Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red (Everyman's Library; Reprint edition, November 2, 2010) Originally published January 1, 1998.

I thank Allah that, I the humble tree before you, have not been drawn witch such intent. And not only because I fear that if I'd been thus depicted all the dogs in Istanbul would assume I was a real tree and piss on me: I don't want to be a tree, I want to be its meaning.

Humans invent an imaginary lover and put that mask over the face of the body in their bed. That is the tragedy of language my friend. Those who know each other only through symbolic representations are forced to imagine each other. And because their imagination is imperfect, they are often wrong.

That is the tragedy of language, my friend. Those who know each other only through symbolic representations are forced to imagine each other. And because their imagination is imperfect, they are often wrong.

Metaphorical flavor doesn't influence reality," said the expendable.

A simile committing suicide is always a depressing spectacle.

Bears that dance, bears that don't.

The sacred idiom shorn of its referents and so of its reality.

En sus sueños su pálida novia iba hacia él desde una verde bóveda de ramas. Sus pezones como de marga y sus costillas pintadas de blanco. Llevaba un vestido de gasa y sus cabellos oscuros estaban recogidos con peinetas de marfil, peinetas de concha. Su sonrisa, su mirada baja. Por la mañana volvía a nevar. Cuentas de hielo gris en ristra sobre los cables de electricidad.

Where you've nothing else construct ceremonies out of the air and breathe upon them.

I had this dream. What dream. I had it twice. Well what was it. There was this big fire out on the dry lake. There aint nothin to burn on a dry lake. I know it. What happened. These people were burnin. The lake was on fire and they was burnin up. It's probably somethin you ate. I had the same dream twice. Maybe you ate the same thing twice. I dont think so.