Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Laura Allen: Susan Delacorte
Photos
Quotes
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[referring to a childlike drawing of a cow]
Katherine Watson : 25 years ago, someone thought this was brilliant.
Connie Baker : I can see that.
Betty Warren : Who?
Katherine Watson : My mother. I painted it for her birthday. Next slide. This is my mom. Is it art?
Susan Delacorte : It's a snapshot.
Katherine Watson : If I told you Ansel Adams had taken it, would that make a difference?
Betty Warren : Art isn't art until someone says it is.
Katherine Watson : It's art!
Betty Warren : The right people.
Katherine Watson : And who are they?
Giselle Levy : Betty Warren! We're so lucky we have one of them right here.
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[about a contemporary abstract painting]
Giselle Levy : That's Jackson Pollock.
Susan Delacorte : In a word.
Connie Baker : I was just getting used to the idea of dead, maggoty meat being art. Now this?
Susan Delacorte : Please don't tell me we have to write a paper about it.
Katherine Watson : Do me a favor. Do yourselves a favor. Stop talking, and look. You're not required to write a paper. You're not even required to like it. You *are* required to consider it.
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Susan Delacorte : [Katherine shows the class a painting of a rotting animal] What is that?
Katherine Watson : You tell me. "Carcass", by Soutine, 1925.
Susan Delacorte : It's not on the syllabus.
Katherine Watson : No it's not. Is it any good? Hm? C'mon, ladies, there's no wrong answer. There's also no textbook telling you what to think. It's not that easy, is it?
Betty Warren : Alright, no. It's not good. In fact, I wouldn't even call it art. It's grotesque.
Connie Baker : Is there a rule against art being grotesque?
Giselle Levy : I think there's something aggressive about it. And erotic.
Betty Warren : To you, everything is erotic.
Giselle Levy : Everything *is* erotic.
Susan Delacorte : Aren't there standards?
Betty Warren : Of course there are! Otherwise, a tacky velvet painting could be equated to a Rembrandt!
Connie Baker : Hey, my Uncle Ferdie has two tacky velvet paintings. He loves those clowns.
Betty Warren : There *are* standards! Technique, composition, color, even subject. So, if you're suggesting that rotted side of meat is art, much less *good* art, then what are we going to learn?
Katherine Watson : Just that. You have outlined our new syllabus, Betty, thank you. What is art? What makes it good or bad, and who decides?