Art Quote by David Shapiro
““A Book of Glass On the table, a book of glass. In the book only a few pages with no words But scratched in a diamond-point pencil to pieces in diagonal Spirals, light triangles; and a French curve fractures lines to elisions. The last pages are simplest. They can be read backwards and thoroughly. Each page bends a bit like ludicrous plastic. He who wrote it was very ambitious, fed up, and finished. He had been teaching the insides and outsides of things To children, teaching the art of Rembrandt to them. His two wives were beautiful and Death begins As a beggar beside them. What is an abstract persona? A painter visits but he prefers to look at perfume in vials. And I see a book in glass—the words go off In wild loops without words. I should Wake and render them! In bed, Mother says each child Will receive the book of etchings, but the book will be incomplete, after all. But I will make the book of glass.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Untitled, 1990s, published in literary journal
The speaker imagines a fragile, unfinished book of glass, symbolizing artistic ambition and the limits of expression.
In simple terms: A fragile, unfinished artistic vision.
Key Takeaway
Embrace imperfection in creation.
Themes
art
creativity
imperfection
ambition
legacy
Mood
reflective
melancholic
inspirational
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- visual arts
- writing workshops
- personal reflection
- teaching art
- family storytelling
Key Concepts
symbolism
fragmentation
metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- How does imperfection shape your creative process?
- What does the glass book represent for you?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may be too abstract for practical guidance.
