I remember being handed a score composed by Mozart at the age of eleven. What could I say? I felt like de Kooning, who was asked to comment on a certain abstract painting, and answered in the negative. He was then told it was the work of a celebrated monkey. 'That's different. For a monkey, it's terrific.'

Summary

This quote illustrates the idea that the value or quality of a creative work can be subjective and may depend on the expectations or context surrounding it. The analogy compares the experience of receiving a score composed by Mozart at a young age to de Kooning's reaction to an abstract painting. Despite the initial lack of appreciation, de Kooning's opinion changes when informed that the artwork was created by a celebrated monkey. This suggests that the perception of artistic merit may be influenced by factors such as reputation or background, shifting our understanding of what is considered "terrific."

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