"An idea is salvation by imagination"
About this Quote
Then he sharpens the claim with “by imagination,” positioning imagination as an engine of deliverance rather than an escape hatch. The subtext is anti-mechanical without being anti-modern. Wright embraced new materials and technologies, but he distrusted the way modernity could mass-produce not just objects but people’s desires. Imagination, for him, isn’t whimsy; it’s the capacity to see a world that doesn’t yet exist and then discipline it into reality. That’s why “idea” and “salvation” sit together: the idea is the seed of a different life, and imagination is the force that keeps it from being crushed by convention.
Context matters: Wright’s century was a collision of rapid urbanization, assembly-line logic, and cultural standardization. His “organic architecture” was a rebuttal, insisting that the built environment could restore human scale and meaning. The line reads like a credo for anyone making things under pressure: when the world narrows, the idea widens it back open.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Wright, Frank Lloyd. (2026, January 18). An idea is salvation by imagination. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/an-idea-is-salvation-by-imagination-14491/
Chicago Style
Wright, Frank Lloyd. "An idea is salvation by imagination." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/an-idea-is-salvation-by-imagination-14491/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"An idea is salvation by imagination." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/an-idea-is-salvation-by-imagination-14491/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.














