--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is it that an artist does when he is…" description: "\"What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in his studio? My conclusion was that if I was an artist and I was in the studio, then everything ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/bruce-nauman-16839_activity_what-is-it-that-an-artist-does-when-he-i_3082214.png" --- # What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in… ![“What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in his studio? My conclusion was that if I was an artist and I was in the studio, then everything I was doing in the studio should be art . . . . From that point on, art became more of an activity and less of a product.” quote by Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/bruce-nauman-16839_activity_what-is-it-that-an-artist-does-when-he-i_3082214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/bruce-nauman-16839_activity_what-is-it-that-an-artist-does-when-he-i_3082214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b1/bruce-nauman-16839_activity_what-is-it-that-an-artist-does-when-he-i_3082214.png) > “What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in his studio? My conclusion was that if I was an artist and I was in the studio, then everything I was doing in the studio should be art . . . . From that point on, art became more of an activity and less of a product.” [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. When alone, every action becomes art, shifting focus from finished products to the creative process itself. **In simple terms:** Alone, all actions are art. Key Takeaway Value process over product. Themes creativity process artistic identity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - studio work - daily practice - creative rituals Key Concepts conceptual art performance mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does this view change your own creative habits? - Can everyday tasks become artistic expression? A Different Perspective Emphasizing process may blur boundaries between art and life, challenging market expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Some people say doing a studio show and doing play by play are two totally different animals. And to an extent, that's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/some-people-say-doing-a-studio-show-and-doing-play-by-play-are-two/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [ \[...\] I've come to the conclusion that the artist can not justify life or come up with a cogent reason as to why life… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-ve-come-to-the-conclusion-that-the-artist-can-not-justify-life-or/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I get the feeling that sometimes the ideas work very well when you're doing them in the studio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/i-get-the-feeling-that-sometimes-the-ideas-work-very-well-when-you-re/) [Bruce Nauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) > [If I'm not on tour or doing a show, I'm in the studio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-the-kid/if-i-m-not-on-tour-or-doing-a-show-i-m-in-the-studio/) [Rich the Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-the-kid/) > [That's one of the reason T-Bone Burnett calls me... he thinks I'm used to doing what I do in the studio for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-john/that-s-one-of-the-reason-t-bone-burnett-calls-me-he-thinks-i-m-used/) [Dr. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-john/) > [The material I did was lasting material. A lot of people thought I wasn't doing anything, but I was in the studio. The biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slim-whitman/the-material-i-did-was-lasting-material-a-lot-of-people-thought-i/) [Slim Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slim-whitman/) > [Even if you're doing something that the studio sends you, or something that's based on a book or story, at the end of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-burton/even-if-you-re-doing-something-that-the-studio-sends-you-or-something/) [Tim Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-burton/) > [Doing studio shows... you don't get the details of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/doing-studio-shows-you-don-t-get-the-details-of-the-league/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [Especially early on, I had no idea what I was going to be asked to do when I walked into a studio. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lukather/especially-early-on-i-had-no-idea-what-i-was-going-to-be-asked-to-do/) [Steve Lukather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lukather/) > [There was a time when my mum would sew costumes for the dance studio so we could keep doing our classes because we couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/there-was-a-time-when-my-mum-would-sew-costumes-for-the-dance-studio/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [My main objective with a home studio - I could get into doing full band demos - but my first objective is to cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/my-main-objective-with-a-home-studio-i-could-get-into-doing-full-band/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [It's really nice when the studio is behind what you're doing, because that's often not the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sissy-spacek/it-s-really-nice-when-the-studio-is-behind-what-you-re-doing-because/) [Sissy Spacek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sissy-spacek/) > [There's no unicorns that pop out the ceiling and no glitter that pops out of my pocket. It's just regular people in the studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-the-chicago-kid/there-s-no-unicorns-that-pop-out-the-ceiling-and-no-glitter-that-pops/) [B.J. The Chicago Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-the-chicago-kid/) > [Every time I'm not on a project, I'm writing or in the studio or doing gigs DJing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/every-time-i-m-not-on-a-project-i-m-writing-or-in-the-studio-or-doing/) [Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/) ## 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/) > [In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-nauman/in-art-the-only-one-who-really-knows-whether-what-you-ve-done-is/) [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/) [Explore all 38 Bruce Nauman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-nauman/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in his studio? 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