--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In art, the only one who really knows…" description: "\"In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.\" — Bruce Nauman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png" --- # In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've… ![“In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.” quote by Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png) > “In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.” [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only the creator can truly judge the honesty of their work. **In simple terms:** Artists know their truth. Key Takeaway Trust your creative judgment. Themes art honesty self‑assessment Mood introspective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - studio practice - art critique - personal journaling - exhibition planning Key Concepts authenticity creative integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify your work’s honesty? - What role does feedback play in your art? A Different Perspective Audience perception may differ from intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Every artist gets asked the question, 'Where do you get your ideas?' The honest artist answers, 'I steal them.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/every-artist-gets-asked-the-question-where-do-you-get-your-ideas-the/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [I just want to make one really good movie a year. And when I die, to know I was honest as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/i-just-want-to-make-one-really-good-movie-a-year-and-when-i-die-to/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) > [I am an honest artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/i-am-an-honest-artist/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [Complete honesty has nothing to do with 'purity' or naivety. The full truth is unattainable to naivety, and the completely honest artist is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-greenberg/complete-honesty-has-nothing-to-do-with-purity-or-naivety-the-full/) [Clement Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-greenberg/) > [“Jubal shrugged. "Abstract design is all right-for wall paper or linoleum. But art is the process of evoking pity and terror, which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/jubal-shrugged-abstract-design-is-all-right-for-wall-paper-or/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [You can tell an honest artist from one who's just given all their songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/you-can-tell-an-honest-artist-from-one-who-s-just-given-all-their/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [I know that my son was an honest person and an honest artist, and what he gave from himself through his art was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afeni-shakur/i-know-that-my-son-was-an-honest-person-and-an-honest-artist-and-what/) [Afeni Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afeni-shakur/) > [I have never made any secret of any of my thoughts or areas of interest. I've always been honest, open, and upfront](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-rice/i-have-never-made-any-secret-of-any-of-my-thoughts-or-areas-of/) [Boyd Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-rice/) > [I think there's a certain level of trust that I have with women. I've always been honest, even when I haven't had good times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halle-berry/i-think-there-s-a-certain-level-of-trust-that-i-have-with-women-i-ve/) [Halle Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halle-berry/) > [I've been very honest with the press. The only thing I have ever had done is my nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-ray-joel/i-ve-been-very-honest-with-the-press-the-only-thing-i-have-ever-had/) [Alexa Ray Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-ray-joel/) > [Maybe some of the pronouns have changed, but I've always been honest in my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-creel/maybe-some-of-the-pronouns-have-changed-but-i-ve-always-been-honest/) [Gavin Creel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-creel/) > [I've been honest with a lot of the problems I've had in life. Everybody has problems. They can relate to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/i-ve-been-honest-with-a-lot-of-the-problems-i-ve-had-in-life/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [The only problems I've ever had with being honest is telling people how I feel about them or saying how I feel about other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/the-only-problems-i-ve-ever-had-with-being-honest-is-telling-people/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) > [I've always been very honest about the fact my weight goes up and down, but I think that's the same for a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquita-oliver/i-ve-always-been-very-honest-about-the-fact-my-weight-goes-up-and/) [Miquita Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miquita-oliver/) > [Cheating is bad. That's a big mistake I've made, and I've really hurt people. I've never lied about it, though. I've always been honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-mckee/cheating-is-bad-that-s-a-big-mistake-i-ve-made-and-i-ve-really-hurt/) [Bonnie McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-mckee/) ## More by Bruce Nauman > [My work is basically an outgrowth of the anger I feel about the human condition. The aspects of it that make me angry are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/my-work-is-basically-an-outgrowth-of-the-anger-i-feel-about-the-human/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [Did you stop because it was good enough, or could have done more - but then maybe ruined it too? Sometimes you finish because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/did-you-stop-because-it-was-good-enough-or-could-have-done-more-but/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [I like to combine different aspects in my work, to cover different areas, but I do see them as being separate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/i-like-to-combine-different-aspects-in-my-work-to-cover-different/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [If I was an artist, and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/if-i-was-an-artist-and-i-was-in-the-studio-then-whatever-i-was-doing/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [A good teacher is like a good artist. They go right to the most difficult part of whatever's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/a-good-teacher-is-like-a-good-artist-they-go-right-to-the-most/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [And so I put down some of the things that he said, about keeping your tools sharpened and not letting them lie on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/and-so-i-put-down-some-of-the-things-that-he-said-about-keeping-your/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [Pete and Repeat were sitting on a wall. Pete fell off. Who was left? Repeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/pete-and-repeat-were-sitting-on-a-wall-pete-fell-off-who-was-left/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [I've always been interested in what happens in the studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-what-happens-in-the-studio/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [One of the factors that still keeps me in the studio is that every so often I have to more or less start all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/one-of-the-factors-that-still-keeps-me-in-the-studio-is-that-every-so/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [In this case we're building a corner to stretch a fence and hang a gate. It had a real purpose in the ranch here.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-this-case-we-re-building-a-corner-to-stretch-a-fence-and-hang-a/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [But if you can find that spot - I suppose it's like running - I used to be a swimmer and swim laps, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/but-if-you-can-find-that-spot-i-suppose-it-s-like-running-i-used-to/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [If you choose the wrong questions and you proceed, you still get a result, but it's not interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/if-you-choose-the-wrong-questions-and-you-proceed-you-still-get-a/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [It's interesting when you make things or do things that open up the possibilities for making more things, or different kinds of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/it-s-interesting-when-you-make-things-or-do-things-that-open-up-the/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [I thought I might have to give up art, but I couldn't think of anything else to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/i-thought-i-might-have-to-give-up-art-but-i-couldn-t-think-of/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [I'm surprised when the work appears beautiful, and very pleased. And I think work can be very good and very successful without being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/i-m-surprised-when-the-work-appears-beautiful-and-very-pleased-and-i/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) [Explore all 38 Bruce Nauman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Nauman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whether-what-you-ve-done-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whether-what-you-ve-done-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/955/bruce-nauman-16839_art_in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whe_386821.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.” — Bruce Nauman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bruce Nauman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In art, the only one who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whether-what-you-ve-done-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whether-what-you-ve-done-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```