Lewis Mumford Quotes

When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection.

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.

Our time here is magic! It's the only space you have to realize whatever it is that is beautiful, whatever is true, whatever is great, whatever is potential, whatever is rare, whatever is unique, in. It's the only space.

I love art, and it plays a huge role in my life. It's definitely one of my greatest joys, and I'm a bit fanatical about certain painters and poets and musicians and sculptors.

Once, the world was full of mysteries, some of them frightening, some of them wonderful, some of them merely fascinating. Now, it can be a banal and predictable place, the tracks of daily life so well-beaten and defined, our culture awash with the imbecile obvious, our existence suffocating in safety. But mysteries remain.

And muse on Nature with a poet's eye.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.

My work always tried to unite the true with the beautiful; but when I had to choose one or the other, I usually chose the beautiful.

I sometimes worry that all the beautiful things have been made.

There are so many amazing parts to life, so many amazing things to write about.

Science is not everything, but science is very beautiful.

Sometimes it's a beautiful face, sometimes it's a place. I am inspired by everything.

Science is no more than an investigation of a miracle we can never explain, and art is an interpretation of that miracle.

The secret of life is in art.

There is inspiration all around us.

Do not try to push your way through to the front ranks of your profession; do not run after distinctions and rewards; but do your utmost to find an entry into the world of beauty.

It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.

Savor the mystery, Stephen, we don't get enough of them.

I think the foundation of everything in my life is wonder.

What I treasure most at any moment is intimacy, surprise, a sense of mystery, wit, depth and love. A handful of cherished friends offer me this, and the occasional singer or film-maker or artist. But my most reliable sources of electricity are Henry David Thoreau, Shakespeare, Melville and Emily Dickinson.

If the world could remain within a frame like a painting on the wall, I think we'd see the beauty then and stand staring in awe.

Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise.

If I had to name my greatest value in life, it would be beauty.

Art is nature speeded up and God slowed down.

An interest in ideas is a sign of human life. People are fascinated by what the future is going to be - and the future is going to be an accumulation of ideas.