--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At a lecture, a guy said to me, \"You…" description: "\"At a lecture, a guy said to me, \"You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a Willem de Kooning painting,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png" --- # At a lecture, a guy said to me, "You know, when I look at… ![“At a lecture, a guy said to me, "You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a Willem de Kooning painting, I know what that is." I said, "Well, the paintings I'm doing have a very legible sentence at the top of the canvas." At a lecture, a guy said to…” quote by Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png) > “At a lecture, a guy said to me, "You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a Willem de Kooning painting, I know what that is." I said, "Well, the paintings I'm doing have a very legible sentence at the top of the canvas." At a lecture, a guy said to me, "You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a de Kooning painting, I know what that is." I said, "Well, the paintings I'm doing have a very legible sentence at the top of the canvas."” [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art can be cryptic; some viewers seek familiar references, while others value explicit narrative, highlighting tension between abstraction and clarity. **In simple terms:** Art balances mystery and clarity. Key Takeaway Consider both hidden meaning and clear messages. Themes art interpretation abstraction clarity Mood contemplative analytical Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - gallery talks - art education - curating exhibitions - artist statements Key Concepts visual language artist intent Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer mystery or directness in art? - How does text affect visual perception? A Different Perspective Some may argue that explicit text limits viewer imagination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Canvas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canvas/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [I think the nice thing about showing work in New York is that other artists come to see it. When you show work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-think-the-nice-thing-about-showing-work-in-new-york-is-that-other/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) > [“You're getting better, my lady." "Don't patronize me." "No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patronize-me-no-really-your/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [I had a visit from an artist friend who basically said, "Your paintings are wonderful. Now stop." It did resonate with me. It hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/i-had-a-visit-from-an-artist-friend-who-basically-said-your-paintings/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [Jazz musicians like John Coltrane needed these very clear titles for their abstract music, and your decision to bring voices into your music as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/jazz-musicians-like-john-coltrane-needed-these-very-clear-titles-for/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I think I’ve had a crush on any guy that’s ever said anything nice to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-aquilino/i-think-i-ve-had-a-crush-on-any-guy-that-s-ever-said-anything-nice-to/) [Carly Aquilino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-aquilino/) > [Okay,So I went to someone,trying to get help with my cutting and this guy said ''My support is keep cutting your life is shit!''…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/okay-so-i-went-to-someone-trying-to-get-help-with-my-cutting-and-this/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [So I went in to a pet shop. I said, "Can I buy a goldfish?" The guy said, "Do you want an aquarium?" I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-vine/so-i-went-in-to-a-pet-shop-i-said-can-i-buy-a-goldfish-the-guy-said/) [Tim Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-vine/) > [“The way to fight a woman is with your hat. Grab it and run. The guy who said that was a wise man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-dodd/the-way-to-fight-a-woman-is-with-your-hat-grab-it-and-run-the-guy-who/) [Christina Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-dodd/) > [“Hey, do you know what I called the last guy who said something like that to me?" When he only raised a noncommittal brow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/hey-do-you-know-what-i-called-the-last-guy-who-said-something-like/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Jack leaned over, “Ever get the impression that these women are way out of our league?” “I shot the last guy who said that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/jack-leaned-over-ever-get-the-impression-that-these-women-are-way-out/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-in-a-fight-one-time-with-a-really-big-guy-and-he-said-i-m-going/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [If you're a woman and a guy's ever said anything romantic to you, he just left off the second part that would have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/if-you-re-a-woman-and-a-guy-s-ever-said-anything-romantic-to-you-he/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) > [I was knocking on people's doors. I knocked on a white couple's door, and I told them, I says, 'Excuse me, but I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-green/i-was-knocking-on-people-s-doors-i-knocked-on-a-white-couple-s-door/) [Al Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-green/) > [I was in Antwerp - which, I had about 20 shows left at that point - and a guy said, "That's Dave Attell's." Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/i-was-in-antwerp-which-i-had-about-20-shows-left-at-that-point-and-a/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, 'I'm going to mop the floor with your face.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-in-a-fight-one-time-with-a-really-big-guy-and-he-said-i-m-going-2/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) ## More by Glenn Ligon > [Throughout African-American literature, the writer has, in a sense, been burdened by the necessity of pleading the case for the whole race. For example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/throughout-african-american-literature-the-writer-has-in-a-sense-been/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [Race is not something inherent to one's being: One does feel more or less colored, depending on the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/race-is-not-something-inherent-to-one-s-being-one-does-feel-more-or/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I think there's an interest right now in the performance aspect of artworks, instead of just hanging things on walls. We're in a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-think-there-s-an-interest-right-now-in-the-performance-aspect-of/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [A key text for me is James Baldwin's essays. And, in particular, his essay Stranger in the Village. It's a text that I've used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/a-key-text-for-me-is-james-baldwin-s-essays-and-in-particular-his/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [It's a great idea: to feel the rhythm of something by seeing how it flows on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/it-s-a-great-idea-to-feel-the-rhythm-of-something-by-seeing-how-it/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [So much of my work has been about disappearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/so-much-of-my-work-has-been-about-disappearing/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I'm interested in when language fails, when it is opaque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-m-interested-in-when-language-fails-when-it-is-opaque/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [In writing, something is always left out: it can't be articulated in the space of an essay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/in-writing-something-is-always-left-out-it-can-t-be-articulated-in/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [Willem de Kooning paintings are a language to be learned. When they were first shown, they were ridiculed as being just drips and splatters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/willem-de-kooning-paintings-are-a-language-to-be-learned-when-they/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [Much of my work is engaged with 'America' - the idea of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/much-of-my-work-is-engaged-with-america-the-idea-of-america/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [My mother really didn't come from artists. Her famous quote to me was, "The only artists I've ever heard of are dead." The pottery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/my-mother-really-didn-t-come-from-artists-her-famous-quote-to-me-was/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I like having a studio to go to. It's like having a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-like-having-a-studio-to-go-to-it-s-like-having-a-job/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I switched up so that I could work 12-hour shifts at the firm on the weekends so I could have days free to paint.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-switched-up-so-that-i-could-work-12-hour-shifts-at-the-firm-on-the/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [I graduated from Wesleyan University with a b.a. in art. I was really headed toward an architecture degree, but when I did the requirements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-graduated-from-wesleyan-university-with-a-b-a-in-art-i-was-really/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [One of the interesting things about quoting in an artwork is that there is a repeated confusion about who is speaking - one essentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/one-of-the-interesting-things-about-quoting-in-an-artwork-is-that/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) [Explore all 63 Glenn Ligon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“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 > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [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 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/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At a lecture, a guy said to me, \"You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a Willem de Kooning painting, I know what that is.\" I said, \"Well, the paintings I'm doing have a very legible sentence at the top of the canvas.\" At a lecture, a guy said to me, \"You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but when I look at a de Kooning painting, I know what that is.\" I said, \"Well, the paintings I'm doing have a very legible sentence at the top of the canvas.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Ligon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-when-i-look-at-your-work-i-don/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-when-i-look-at-your-work-i-don/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/glenn-ligon-10867_artist_at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-w_1119031.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At a lecture, a guy said to me, \"You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but…” — Glenn Ligon", "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": "Glenn Ligon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At a lecture, a guy said...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-when-i-look-at-your-work-i-don/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-when-i-look-at-your-work-i-don/#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 } } ] } ```