--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In retrospect I can see that my desire to…" description: "\"In retrospect I can see that my desire to create abstractions has become more and more radical. Art should not be delivering a report on reality, but s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dda/andreas-gursky-33701_abstraction_in-retrospect-i-can-see-that-my-desire-t_1393723.png" --- # In retrospect I can see that my desire to create… ![“In retrospect I can see that my desire to create abstractions has become more and more radical. Art should not be delivering a report on reality, but should be looking at what's behind something.” quote by Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dda/andreas-gursky-33701_abstraction_in-retrospect-i-can-see-that-my-desire-t_1393723.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dda/andreas-gursky-33701_abstraction_in-retrospect-i-can-see-that-my-desire-t_1393723.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dda/andreas-gursky-33701_abstraction_in-retrospect-i-can-see-that-my-desire-t_1393723.png) > “In retrospect I can see that my desire to create abstractions has become more and more radical. Art should not be delivering a report on reality, but should be looking at what's behind something.” [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art should probe underlying truths rather than merely document reality, pushing toward deeper abstraction. **In simple terms:** Art must explore deeper meanings. Key Takeaway Create art that reveals hidden layers. Themes art abstraction truth creativity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - digital media - urban photography - conceptual installations Key Concepts aesthetics philosophy critical theory Questions to Reflect On - What hidden aspects can your work reveal? - How do you balance abstraction with audience connection? A Different Perspective Abstract art can become inaccessible if too detached from audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Abstractions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstractions/) [Abstractions Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstractions-radical-4865487/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Create Abstractions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-abstractions-4865488/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Delivering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delivering/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Radical Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-art-1331504/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-looking-399735/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Retrospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [ \[The photographs\] were there simply to indicate a radical art that had already vanished. The photograph was necessary only as a residue for communication. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-oppenheim/the-photographs-were-there-simply-to-indicate-a-radical-art-that-had/) [Dennis Oppenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-oppenheim/) > [I just try to get away with as much as I can. I don't think that's very radical in the art world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mcgee/i-just-try-to-get-away-with-as-much-as-i-can-i-don-t-think-that-s/) [Barry McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mcgee/) > [The reality is that whatever you are looking for is, at the same time, looking for you. It all starts with believing before seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frederick-demartini/the-reality-is-that-whatever-you-are-looking-for-is-at-the-same-time/) [John Frederick Demartini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frederick-demartini/) > [You're in another reality when you're looking down at your phone, walking across the street, and almost getting hit by a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-anne-moss/you-re-in-another-reality-when-you-re-looking-down-at-your-phone/) [Carrie-Anne Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-anne-moss/) > [I'm not very interested in charting a day-to-day familiar reality. I'm always looking for territory in which to explore the BIG subjects, the life-or-death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tremain/i-m-not-very-interested-in-charting-a-day-to-day-familiar-reality-i-m/) [Rose Tremain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tremain/) > [“But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Whatever the Party holds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-i-tell-you-winston-that-reality-is-not-external-reality-exists-in/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [You can deny, if you like, nearly all abstractions: justice, beauty, truth, goodness, mind, God. You can deny seriousness, but not play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/you-can-deny-if-you-like-nearly-all-abstractions-justice-beauty-truth/) [Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/) > [Abstractions about right and wrong, whether they are as old as Thou Shalt Not Kill or as modern as Do Your Own Thing, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/abstractions-about-right-and-wrong-whether-they-are-as-old-as-thou/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [At the same time, new concepts and abstractions flow into the picture, taking up the task of describing the universe without reference to such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-the-same-time-new-concepts-and-abstractions-flow-into-the-picture/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Policymakers think that if they get the abstractions right, that will drive behavior in the desired direction. But the world happens in real time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/policymakers-think-that-if-they-get-the-abstractions-right-that-will/) [Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/) > [“To think is to forget differences, generalize, make abstractions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-harris/to-think-is-to-forget-differences-generalize-make-abstractions/) [Angela Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-harris/) > [When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-novels-deal-in-abstractions-they-generally-go-off-the-rails/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [“In our own time, algebra has become the most rarefied and demanding of all mental disciplines, whose objects are abstractions of abstractions of abstractions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-our-own-time-algebra-has-become-the-most-rarefied-and-demanding-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is easier to compare concrete things in a fictional story with concrete things in real life than it is to compare abstractions with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/it-is-easier-to-compare-concrete-things-in-a-fictional-story-with/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## More by Andreas Gursky > [Maybe to try to understand not just that we are living in a certain building or in a certain location, but to become aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/maybe-to-try-to-understand-not-just-that-we-are-living-in-a-certain/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [My preference for clear structures is the result of my desire - perhaps illusory - to keep track of things and maintain my grip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/my-preference-for-clear-structures-is-the-result-of-my-desire-perhaps/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Vision is an intelligent form of thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/vision-is-an-intelligent-form-of-thought/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [We are alone on this planet. It's not a choice. Here we are. This is what everyone has to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/we-are-alone-on-this-planet-it-s-not-a-choice-here-we-are-this-is/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [I read a picture not for what's really going on there, I read it more for what is going on in our world generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/i-read-a-picture-not-for-what-s-really-going-on-there-i-read-it-more/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Since the photographic medium has been digitized, a fixed definition of the term photography has become impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/since-the-photographic-medium-has-been-digitized-a-fixed-definition/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [I am never interested in the individual, but in the human species and its environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/i-am-never-interested-in-the-individual-but-in-the-human-species-and/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [A word is worth a thousand images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/a-word-is-worth-a-thousand-images/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [My father did advertising photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/my-father-did-advertising-photography/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [I stand at a distance, like a person who comes from another world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/i-stand-at-a-distance-like-a-person-who-comes-from-another-world/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Maybe to try to understand not just that we are living in a certain building or in a certain location, but to become aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/maybe-to-try-to-understand-not-just-that-we-are-living-in-a-certain-2/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [I pursue one goal the encyclopaedia of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/i-pursue-one-goal-the-encyclopaedia-of-life/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Any claims on the truth in my pictures are only to be answered in the sense that a particular event did in fact happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/any-claims-on-the-truth-in-my-pictures-are-only-to-be-answered-in-the/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) [Explore all 14 Andreas Gursky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) ## More Abstraction quotes > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-premises-from-which-we-begin-are-not-arbitrary-ones-not-dogmas/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Two elements are needed to form a truth - a fact and an abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/two-elements-are-needed-to-form-a-truth-a-fact-and-an-abstraction/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [But we must not underestimate the potency of the mathematical process of abstraction. A surprising variety of things happen to have both magnitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banesh-hoffmann/but-we-must-not-underestimate-the-potency-of-the-mathematical-process/) [Banesh Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banesh-hoffmann/) > [Sometimes I start in a very realistic fashion, and as I go on from one painting to another of the same kind, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/sometimes-i-start-in-a-very-realistic-fashion-and-as-i-go-on-from-one/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I like residing in abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-like-residing-in-abstraction/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact. Doctors treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-goodfield/cancer-begins-and-ends-with-people-in-the-midst-of-scientific/) [June Goodfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-goodfield/) > [Yes, there was an element of abstraction and unreality in misfortune. But when an abstraction starts to kill you, you have to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/yes-there-was-an-element-of-abstraction-and-unreality-in-misfortune/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Don't get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It's an abstraction. Not unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-get-stuck-on-the-level-of-words-a-word-is-no-more-than-a-means/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Holidays are in no sense an alternative to the congestion and bustle of the cities and work. Quite the contrary. People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ I'd say that \[Louis\] Brandeis practiced a kind of a "living originalism," to use the title of Jack Balkin's great book. He said you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/i-d-say-that-louis-brandeis-practiced-a-kind-of-a-living-originalism/) [Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/) > [When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-novels-deal-in-abstractions-they-generally-go-off-the-rails/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) [Browse all 562 Abstraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In retrospect I can see that my desire to create abstractions has become more and more radical. 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