--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a stage with four lights clamped to…" description: "\"It's a stage with four lights clamped to it with walls made out of plywood. And then my name's in the center. It's the type of thing that can be made o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/josh-smith-32519_four_it-s-a-stage-with-four-lights-clamped-to_862207.jpg" --- # It's a stage with four lights clamped to it with walls… ![“It's a stage with four lights clamped to it with walls made out of plywood. And then my name's in the center. It's the type of thing that can be made over and over again. It's not like a Michelangelo sculpture.” quote by Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/josh-smith-32519_four_it-s-a-stage-with-four-lights-clamped-to_862207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/josh-smith-32519_four_it-s-a-stage-with-four-lights-clamped-to_862207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/josh-smith-32519_four_it-s-a-stage-with-four-lights-clamped-to_862207.jpg) > “It's a stage with four lights clamped to it with walls made out of plywood. And then my name's in the center. It's the type of thing that can be made over and over again. It's not like a Michelangelo sculpture.” [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The work is a simple, repeatable installation using basic materials, emphasizing process over unique masterpiece. **In simple terms:** Simple, repeatable art using basic materials. Key Takeaway Focus on process, not uniqueness. Themes process materiality repetition artistic intent Mood contemplative neutral Type statement descriptive When to use this quote - gallery exhibition - studio practice - educational workshop - public installation Key Concepts minimalism installation conceptual art Questions to Reflect On - How does repetition affect viewer perception? - What does material choice say about artistic value? A Different Perspective May be perceived as lacking originality or depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Sculpture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sculpture/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [When I was a kid I drew like Michelangelo. It took me years to learn to draw like a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/when-i-was-a-kid-i-drew-like-michelangelo-it-took-me-years-to-learn/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [“Even at this ridiculous hour, and clad in a faded blue t-shirt and ancient pyjama pants, he looked like something Michelangelo might reject for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabitha-mcgowan/even-at-this-ridiculous-hour-and-clad-in-a-faded-blue-t-shirt-and/) [Tabitha McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabitha-mcgowan/) > [But the great artists like Michelangelo and Blake and Tolstoi--like Christ whom Blake called an artist because he had one of the most creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/but-the-great-artists-like-michelangelo-and-blake-and-tolstoi-like/) [Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-ueland/) > [“Like Michelangelo spending eight months in the mountains of Carrara, selecting the most perfect blocks of marble for the tomb of Pope Julius II,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/like-michelangelo-spending-eight-months-in-the-mountains-of-carrara/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“His smile brightened the whole room and I thought, Why do they even need stage lights with a smile like that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-brody/his-smile-brightened-the-whole-room-and-i-thought-why-do-they-even/) [Jessica Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-brody/) > [Never say never - I certainly have those dreams, and I hope that it happens at some point,I hope I get to see those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/never-say-never-i-certainly-have-those-dreams-and-i-hope-that-it/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [I like the stage lights to be bright so I can't see people because I will inevitably only see the ones who aren't laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcintyre/i-like-the-stage-lights-to-be-bright-so-i-can-t-see-people-because-i/) [Michael McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcintyre/) > [I like to wear something I can move in, and light colors because of the stage lights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-something-i-can-move-in-and-light-colors-because-of/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [Every time I step on stage an' see all of the lights or hear fans singing the words to my songs ,it's a surreal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-boogie-wit-da-hoodie/every-time-i-step-on-stage-an-see-all-of-the-lights-or-hear-fans/) [A Boogie wit da Hoodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-boogie-wit-da-hoodie/) > [Set in the remote and harsh high desert landscape of Idaho, Outpost is an artist live/work studio and sculpture garden for making and displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kundig/set-in-the-remote-and-harsh-high-desert-landscape-of-idaho-outpost-is/) Tom Kundig > [I've been in and out of Wall Street since 1949, and I've never seen the type of animosity between government and Wall Street. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/i-ve-been-in-and-out-of-wall-street-since-1949-and-i-ve-never-seen/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“The strength I'm looking for isn't the type where you win or lose. I'm not after a wall that'll repel power coming from outside.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-strength-i-m-looking-for-isn-t-the-type-where-you-win-or-lose-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [...the more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves. If you never let them take any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-more-risks-you-allow-children-to-take-the-better-they-learn-to/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Attempt to be creative for the joy it brings… Select something like music, dance, sculpture, or poetry. Being creative will help you enjoy life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/attempt-to-be-creative-for-the-joy-it-brings-select-something-like/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [The Parthenon is really only a farmyard over which someone put a roof; colonades and sculptures were added because there were people in Athens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/the-parthenon-is-really-only-a-farmyard-over-which-someone-put-a-roof/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) ## More by Josh Smith > [I do, but I don't like doing that. I would do it out of hate or anger. I would do it because some- one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-do-but-i-don-t-like-doing-that-i-would-do-it-out-of-hate-or-anger-i/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [So rather than someone coming to my stu- dio and saying, like, "Thank you for your time. I'll see you later," and me not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/so-rather-than-someone-coming-to-my-stu-dio-and-saying-like-thank-you/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [Everything comes from a weird place that I don't understand. I make a piece of art just to prove that I exist in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/everything-comes-from-a-weird-place-that-i-don-t-understand-i-make-a/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [It's a lifestyle. If you do something good that is worth making, you should make it forever. It's like being a farmer. Just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/it-s-a-lifestyle-if-you-do-something-good-that-is-worth-making-you/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I'm not really that hard-working. We've hung out a lot, and you know that I don't work harder than you. Everyone else is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-m-not-really-that-hard-working-we-ve-hung-out-a-lot-and-you-know/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I have a streak in myself, like, I'm an exhibi- tionist. There's a side of me that really wants to show off and share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-have-a-streak-in-myself-like-i-m-an-exhibi-tionist-there-s-a-side/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I like when people have opinions - especially about art. You can hate my art. I made my art to be hated. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-like-when-people-have-opinions-especially-about-art-you-can-hate-my/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [It's three disparate elements: the stop sign, the stage paintings, and the skeleton paintings. Those are three sharp ideas, although none of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/it-s-three-disparate-elements-the-stop-sign-the-stage-paintings-and/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I didn't want it to have any technical virtuosity; I wanted it to just be really clear how it was made. For my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-didn-t-want-it-to-have-any-technical-virtuosity-i-wanted-it-to-just/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [And the cool kids always had a stop sign in their bedroom. Which means: "I don't care if people die. I want my stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/and-the-cool-kids-always-had-a-stop-sign-in-their-bedroom-which-means/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [ I would never make an artwork that I wouldn't want to make forever. Wouldn't you want to make Trash Humpers \[Korine's 2009 film\] forever? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-would-never-make-an-artwork-that-i-wouldn-t-want-to-make-forever/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I made work specifically for them not to like. If you made paintings of flowers and someone says they hate it, it's like, "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-made-work-specifically-for-them-not-to-like-if-you-made-paintings/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [I'm a happy, happy person. I laugh. I'm not angry. I'm only disgusted with a few people in the world that I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/i-m-a-happy-happy-person-i-laugh-i-m-not-angry-i-m-only-disgusted/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) > [It's the ultimate conceptual artwork. I took a piece of metal and just painted an image of a stop sign on it - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-smith/it-s-the-ultimate-conceptual-artwork-i-took-a-piece-of-metal-and-just/) [Josh Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) [Explore all 15 Josh Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-smith/) ## 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": "It's a stage with four lights clamped to it with walls made out of plywood. And then my name's in the center. It's the type of thing that can be made over and over again. 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