--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes a tight circle or a tight…" description: "\"What makes a tight circle or a tight little square box more of an intellectual statement than something done emotionally, I don't know. Art is an essen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/eva-hesse-22074_art_what-makes-a-tight-circle-or-a-tight-lit_1642418.jpg" --- # What makes a tight circle or a tight little square box… ![“What makes a tight circle or a tight little square box more of an intellectual statement than something done emotionally, I don't know. Art is an essence, a center.” quote by Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/eva-hesse-22074_art_what-makes-a-tight-circle-or-a-tight-lit_1642418.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/eva-hesse-22074_art_what-makes-a-tight-circle-or-a-tight-lit_1642418.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/786/eva-hesse-22074_art_what-makes-a-tight-circle-or-a-tight-lit_1642418.jpg) > “What makes a tight circle or a tight little square box more of an intellectual statement than something done emotionally, I don't know. Art is an essence, a center.” [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectual art focuses on conceptual structure, while emotional art stems from feeling; art embodies both essence and center. **In simple terms:** Conceptual art differs from emotional art. Key Takeaway Recognize art's dual nature. Themes art philosophy creativity emotion Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - Museum curation - art education - creative practice - personal reflection Key Concepts Aesthetic theory structuralism Questions to Reflect On - How does structure influence feeling? - Can art be purely intellectual? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑intellectualizing art. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody is always saying I gotta keep a tight circle of friends, circles can be split up in many different ways. You gotta get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everybody-is-always-saying-i-gotta-keep-a-tight-circle-of-friends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had a hard time going to school. I probably wasn't the most pleasant young person to be around. I kept a very tight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ambrose/i-had-a-hard-time-going-to-school-i-probably-wasn-t-the-most-pleasant/) [Dean Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ambrose/) > [I think those that know me - I keep a pretty tight circle - and in general, the people that are closest to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cantlay/i-think-those-that-know-me-i-keep-a-pretty-tight-circle-and-in/) [Patrick Cantlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cantlay/) > [My mother's a genius. She just kept feeding me art on whatever we had; paper plates, silver platter, didn't matter. You know, she just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/my-mother-s-a-genius-she-just-kept-feeding-me-art-on-whatever-we-had/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [“The most important thing in art is The Frame. For painting: literally; for other arts: figuratively-- because, without this humble appliance, you can't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/the-most-important-thing-in-art-is-the-frame-for-painting-literally/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [“I don’t know anything about art so I can’t tell you that it’s watercolor or acrylic or that it’s on canvas or anything art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-don-t-know-anything-about-art-so-i-can-t-tell-you-that-it-s/) [Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/) > [Art is not concerned with the meditation about what is and how it came to be. That is a task for knowledge. Knowledge is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naum-gabo/art-is-not-concerned-with-the-meditation-about-what-is-and-how-it/) [Naum Gabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naum-gabo/) > [Anyone who doesn't know anything about art knows the name of at least one artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dasha-zhukova/anyone-who-doesn-t-know-anything-about-art-knows-the-name-of-at-least/) [Dasha Zhukova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dasha-zhukova/) > [There is something we know thats connected with beauty and truth. There is something ancient. We know that art is about beauty, and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-something-we-know-thats-connected-with-beauty-and-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know what art is, but I do know what it isn't. And it isn't someone walking around with a salmon over his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-sewell/i-don-t-know-what-art-is-but-i-do-know-what-it-isn-t-and-it-isn-t/) Brian Sewell > [“I can't tell you what art does and how it does it, but I know that art has often judged the judges, pleaded revenge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/i-can-t-tell-you-what-art-does-and-how-it-does-it-but-i-know-that-art/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [You don't work in a vacuum. If you're a visual artist you work in a visual culture. If you're a pop musician you listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/you-don-t-work-in-a-vacuum-if-you-re-a-visual-artist-you-work-in-a/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) > [We know that art is connected with the land, with its salt, with its smell, that outside of national culture there is no art.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ehrenburg/we-know-that-art-is-connected-with-the-land-with-its-salt-with-its/) [Ilya Ehrenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ehrenburg/) > [And it's been one of my big sort of campaigns throughout my career, really, is to sort of make art accessible but without dumbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/and-it-s-been-one-of-my-big-sort-of-campaigns-throughout-my-career/) [Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/) > [We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/we-all-know-that-art-is-not-truth-art-is-a-lie-that-makes-us-realize/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## More by Eva Hesse > [There's not been one normal thing in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/there-s-not-been-one-normal-thing-in-my-life/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [I am not sure what my stand on lasting really is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/i-am-not-sure-what-my-stand-on-lasting-really-is/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Don't ask what the work is. Rather, see what the work does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/don-t-ask-what-the-work-is-rather-see-what-the-work-does/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [I should like to achieve free, spontaneous painting delineating a powerful, strong structured image. One must be possible with the other. A difficult problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/i-should-like-to-achieve-free-spontaneous-painting-delineating-a/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Artists don't think archivally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/artists-don-t-think-archivally/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Art and life are inseparable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/art-and-life-are-inseparable/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Life doesn't last; art doesn't last. It doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/life-doesn-t-last-art-doesn-t-last-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [First feel sure of idea, then the execution will be easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/first-feel-sure-of-idea-then-the-execution-will-be-easier/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Art is the easiest thing in my life, and that's ironic. It doesn't mean I've worked little on it, but it's the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/art-is-the-easiest-thing-in-my-life-and-that-s-ironic-it-doesn-t-mean/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Excellence has no sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/excellence-has-no-sex/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Chaos can be structured as non-chaos. That we know from Jackson Pollock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/chaos-can-be-structured-as-non-chaos-that-we-know-from-jackson-pollock/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [I would like the work to be non-work. This means that it would find its way beyond my preconceptions...It is the unknown quantity from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/i-would-like-the-work-to-be-non-work-this-means-that-it-would-find/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Life doesn't last, art doesn't last](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/life-doesn-t-last-art-doesn-t-last/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [I have the most openness about my art... It's total freedom and willingness to work. I'm willing really to walk on the edge, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/i-have-the-most-openness-about-my-art-it-s-total-freedom-and/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) > [Don't ask what it means or what it refers to. Don't ask what the work is. Rather, see what the work does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-hesse/don-t-ask-what-it-means-or-what-it-refers-to-don-t-ask-what-the-work/) [Eva Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) [Explore all 28 Eva Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-hesse/) ## 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": "What makes a tight circle or a tight little square box more of an intellectual statement than something done emotionally, I don't know. 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