--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consider paint a film of light…" description: "\"Consider paint a film of light reflecting/absorbing material, and a colored paint a material which gives a particular, characteristic transmission of l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/jo-baer-85453_absorbing_consider-paint-a-film-of-light-reflectin_1559501.png" --- # Consider paint a film of light reflecting/absorbing… ![“Consider paint a film of light reflecting/absorbing material, and a colored paint a material which gives a particular, characteristic transmission of light via differential absorption and reflection. Call this reflected quality 'luminance' and measure it in millilamberts. This measure is as real…” quote by Jo Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/jo-baer-85453_absorbing_consider-paint-a-film-of-light-reflectin_1559501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/jo-baer-85453_absorbing_consider-paint-a-film-of-light-reflectin_1559501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/jo-baer-85453_absorbing_consider-paint-a-film-of-light-reflectin_1559501.png) > “Consider paint a film of light reflecting/absorbing material, and a colored paint a material which gives a particular, characteristic transmission of light via differential absorption and reflection. Call this reflected quality 'luminance' and measure it in millilamberts. This measure is as real and present as height, breadth, depth; and I find the phenomenon equally sumptuous and convincing. . . . Painted light, not color, not form, not perspective, or line, not image, or words, or equations, is painting. I make paintings which do not represent light, they are light.” Jo Baer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that true painting is the direct depiction of light itself, not representation of objects, color, or form. **In simple terms:** Painting is about light itself, not objects. Key Takeaway Focus on light as material. Themes art perception materiality Mood contemplative introspective Type theoretical philosophical When to use this quote - gallery installation - light art - educational lecture - studio practice Key Concepts Phenomenology visual theory Questions to Reflect On - How can light alone convey meaning? - What does this view mean for traditional painting? A Different Perspective It may overlook the role of color and form in viewer interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Sumptuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sumptuous/) ## Related quotes > [“When there is a beautiful reflection, we know not where to look, to the reflection or to the reflected!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-there-is-a-beautiful-reflection-we-know-not-where-to-look-to-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It's easy to photograph light reflecting from a surface, the truly hard part is capturing the light in the air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-evans/it-s-easy-to-photograph-light-reflecting-from-a-surface-the-truly/) [Walker Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-evans/) > [“Is it possible to make a living by simply watching light? Monet did. Vermeer did. I believe Vincent did too. They painted light in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/is-it-possible-to-make-a-living-by-simply-watching-light-monet-did/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [That is the artist's job: take mineral rock from dark silent earth, transform it into shining light-reflecting form from sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/that-is-the-artist-s-job-take-mineral-rock-from-dark-silent-earth/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I'm known as a light artist. But rather than be someone who depicted light, or painted light in some way, I wanted to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-m-known-as-a-light-artist-but-rather-than-be-someone-who-depicted/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [I am firmly of the opinion that the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS is Protestant. 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In the spring I have counted one hundred and twenty-six different kinds of weather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-a-sumptuous-variety-about-the-new-england-weather-in-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A rose to the living is more Than sumptuous wreaths to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nixon-waterman/a-rose-to-the-living-is-more-than-sumptuous-wreaths-to-the-dead/) [Nixon Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nixon-waterman/) > [If pale beans bubble for you in a red earthenware pot, you can often decline the dinners of sumptuous hosts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/if-pale-beans-bubble-for-you-in-a-red-earthenware-pot-you-can-often/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [The mask means to me: freshness of color, sumptuous decoration, wild unexpected gestures, very shrill expressions, exquisite turbulence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ensor/the-mask-means-to-me-freshness-of-color-sumptuous-decoration-wild/) James Ensor > [His sumptuous tents, and those of his satraps, afforded an immense booty to the conqueror; and an incident is mentioned which proves the rustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/his-sumptuous-tents-and-those-of-his-satraps-afforded-an-immense/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [It is with the approach of winter that cats...wear their richest fur and assume an air of sumptuous and delightful opulence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-loti/it-is-with-the-approach-of-winter-that-cats-wear-their-richest-fur/) [Pierre Loti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-loti/) ## More by Jo Baer > [Courage is the ability to conquer fear or despair, to be brave or have a quality of mind or temperament that enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-baer/courage-is-the-ability-to-conquer-fear-or-despair-to-be-brave-or-have/) Jo Baer > [A painting is an object which has an emphatic frontal surface. On such a surface, I paint a black band which does not recede,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-baer/a-painting-is-an-object-which-has-an-emphatic-frontal-surface-on-such/) Jo Baer Explore all 3 Jo Baer quotes ## More Absorbing quotes > [The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romare-bearden/the-artist-has-to-be-something-like-a-whale-swimming-with-his-mouth/) [Romare Bearden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romare-bearden/) > [I probably need another couple of years of absorbing that and really looking at it to be able to do it because you actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hanks/i-probably-need-another-couple-of-years-of-absorbing-that-and-really/) [Colin Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hanks/) > [I bless the gods for not letting my education in rhetoric, poetry, and other literary studies come easily to me, and thereby sparing me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/i-bless-the-gods-for-not-letting-my-education-in-rhetoric-poetry-and/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Edge also implies what Ben Graham…called a margin of safety. 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The technique is: Just feel not disturbed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-habit-of-quietly-absorbing-the-shocks-will-be-quite-a-great-help/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [It's hard to pick. I mean, I think the one that is most emblematic of the collaboration that occurred is "We Know The Way."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/it-s-hard-to-pick-i-mean-i-think-the-one-that-is-most-emblematic-of/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [Babies breathe a lot more rapidly than adults do, and what's more, they're also growing quickly and so they're absorbing lots more into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/babies-breathe-a-lot-more-rapidly-than-adults-do-and-what-s-more-they/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [Where does the ego get its energy? The ego feeds off your desire to be something else. You are poor and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/where-does-the-ego-get-its-energy-the-ego-feeds-off-your-desire-to-be/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I know "accessibility" is a term that's kind of thrown around wantonly today, especially with talking about visual media. But I think that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-powell/i-know-accessibility-is-a-term-that-s-kind-of-thrown-around-wantonly/) [Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-powell/) > [I've always looked at directing as the next step for me in my creative career, and after spending the better part of the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-anthony-dale/i-ve-always-looked-at-directing-as-the-next-step-for-me-in-my/) [Ian Anthony Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-anthony-dale/) > [In anything fit to be called by the name of reading, the process itself should be absorbing and voluptuous; we should gloat over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/in-anything-fit-to-be-called-by-the-name-of-reading-the-process/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Inside you're like some kind of mirror, reflecting everything without absorbing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-j-deikman/inside-you-re-like-some-kind-of-mirror-reflecting-everything-without/) [Arthur J. Deikman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-j-deikman/) > [There are two kinds of actors -- one sits in a dressing room waiting for his call and the other gets out into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/there-are-two-kinds-of-actors-one-sits-in-a-dressing-room-waiting-for/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) Browse all 189 Absorbing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Consider paint a film of light reflecting/absorbing material, and a colored paint a material which gives a particular, characteristic transmission of light via differential absorption and reflection. Call this reflected quality 'luminance' and measure it in millilamberts. This measure is as real and present as height, breadth, depth; and I find the phenomenon equally sumptuous and convincing. . . . 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