--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t work as a conceptualist. Let’s…" description: "\"I don’t work as a conceptualist. Let’s say the conceptual art model is that you have a project idea, or a set of concerns, and then you illustrate thos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39d/john-gossage-74159_appropriate_i-don-t-work-as-a-conceptualist-let-s-sa_832216.jpg" --- # I don’t work as a conceptualist. Let’s say the conceptual… ![“I don’t work as a conceptualist. Let’s say the conceptual art model is that you have a project idea, or a set of concerns, and then you illustrate those concerns in whatever manner you see appropriate. For me, it has always been that the world suggests far more subtle and interesting variations…” quote by John Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39d/john-gossage-74159_appropriate_i-don-t-work-as-a-conceptualist-let-s-sa_832216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39d/john-gossage-74159_appropriate_i-don-t-work-as-a-conceptualist-let-s-sa_832216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39d/john-gossage-74159_appropriate_i-don-t-work-as-a-conceptualist-let-s-sa_832216.jpg) > “I don’t work as a conceptualist. Let’s say the conceptual art model is that you have a project idea, or a set of concerns, and then you illustrate those concerns in whatever manner you see appropriate. For me, it has always been that the world suggests far more subtle and interesting variations than I could ever come up with.” John Gossage ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker rejects a pure conceptualist stance, preferring to let the subject matter guide the form, allowing unexpected nuances to emerge. **In simple terms:** Art should follow the ideas, not force them. Key Takeaway Let the work evolve from the concept naturally. Themes creativity process artistic humility Mood reflective inquisitive Type statement philosophical When to use this quote - gallery installations - public murals - digital media projects - collaborative exhibitions Key Concepts conceptual art interpretation serendipity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance intention with discovery? - When does letting the world guide you dilute your voice? A Different Perspective May limit artistic control and lead to ambiguous outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Conceptual art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceptual-art/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I've come up through art school, through painting, through graphic design, through advertising, through TV commercials and music video. I've designed books, built billboards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kaye/i-ve-come-up-through-art-school-through-painting-through-graphic/) [Tony Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kaye/) > [Philosophy has a great sort of appeal in terms of an artistic or aesthetic organization of concepts. It's a conceptual art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/philosophy-has-a-great-sort-of-appeal-in-terms-of-an-artistic-or/) [William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/) > [Conceptual art is entirely word-bound. It is, in fact, the kind of art that is exhausted in its verbal description.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-stoddart/conceptual-art-is-entirely-word-bound-it-is-in-fact-the-kind-of-art/) [Alexander Stoddart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-stoddart/) > [The other great development has been in photography, but that too was influenced by Conceptual art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/the-other-great-development-has-been-in-photography-but-that-too-was/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [Conceptual art, I don't even know what that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watkin-tudor-jones/conceptual-art-i-don-t-even-know-what-that-is/) [Watkin Tudor Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watkin-tudor-jones/) > [Im not trying to do conceptual art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sotos/im-not-trying-to-do-conceptual-art/) [Peter Sotos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sotos/) > [In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/in-conceptual-art-the-idea-or-concept-is-the-most-important-aspect-of/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [I spent a lot of time on my own working out the physical vocabulary for how Gollum moved. As I say, I drew on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-on-my-own-working-out-the-physical-vocabulary/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [What art is not processed? "Conceptual art." Somebody making a painting has to conceive of the size. I don't understand where these words came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/what-art-is-not-processed-conceptual-art-somebody-making-a-painting/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [It would be obvious for me to do conceptual art, and I think I've done it already with smashing bass guitars and whatever -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simonon/it-would-be-obvious-for-me-to-do-conceptual-art-and-i-think-i-ve-done/) [Paul Simonon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simonon/) > [When I go to galleries in New York, I feel like I'm in school. I know that there's good contemporary conceptual art, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyp-malone/when-i-go-to-galleries-in-new-york-i-feel-like-i-m-in-school-i-know/) [Kyp Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyp-malone/) > [I am particularly interested in creating a relationship between ideas of reception in conceptual art and theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crouch/i-am-particularly-interested-in-creating-a-relationship-between-ideas/) [Tim Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crouch/) > [Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/conceptual-art-became-the-liberating-idea-that-gave-the-art-of-the/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [I am not really interested in clothing as a conceptual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issey-miyake/i-am-not-really-interested-in-clothing-as-a-conceptual-art-form/) [Issey Miyake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issey-miyake/) > [I love conceptual art and artistic expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/i-love-conceptual-art-and-artistic-expression/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) ## More by John Gossage > [ You could start a small fire... with \[photo\] books I hate, and use that light to look at mine. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gossage/you-could-start-a-small-fire-with-photo-books-i-hate-and-use-that/) John Gossage > [Photography has always been a simple medium, compared to painting in oil or chipping at marble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gossage/photography-has-always-been-a-simple-medium-compared-to-painting-in/) John Gossage > [You can do anything you like, it's all fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gossage/you-can-do-anything-you-like-it-s-all-fiction/) John Gossage Explore all 4 John Gossage quotes ## More Appropriate quotes > [“Appropriate is overrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-w-kohlhagen/appropriate-is-overrated/) Steven W. 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I don't think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/i-would-not-under-any-circumstances-try-to-impose-my-personal-faith/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [While the intelligence profession oftentimes demands secrecy, it is critically important that there be a full and open discourse on intelligence matters with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/while-the-intelligence-profession-oftentimes-demands-secrecy-it-is/) [John O. 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