---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's nothing more special than…"
description: "\"There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.\" — Kerry Jame..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg"
---

#  There's nothing more special than intellect and labour…

![“There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.” quote by Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg)

> “There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.”

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Artistic value derives from intellectual effort and labor, not mystical inspiration; it is grounded in knowledge and work.

**In simple terms:** Art is work, not magic

Key Takeaway

Skill and effort create meaning

Themes

art theory labor intellect process demystification

Mood

analytical thoughtful grounded

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- art education
- artist statements
- gallery curation

Key Concepts

creative process work ethic

Practical Applications

- creative workshops
- critical writing

Questions to Reflect On

- How does recognizing labor change our appreciation of art?
- Can ‘magic’ ever be a useful metaphor?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect/) [Intellect Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellect-labour-299430/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Makes Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-painting-299432/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-work-299431/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [An artist makes a painting, and nobody bugs him or her about it. It's just you and your painting. To me, that's the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/an-artist-makes-a-painting-and-nobody-bugs-him-or-her-about-it-it-s/)

[David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/)

> [...if photos can reproduce the world more perfectly than any painter, can capture an instant, a look, a gesture, then what makes a painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/if-photos-can-reproduce-the-world-more-perfectly-than-any-painter-can/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [In a movie, you're raw material, just a hue of some color and the director makes the painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/in-a-movie-you-re-raw-material-just-a-hue-of-some-color-and-the/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [My work is about your seeing. There is a rich tradition in painting of work about light, but it is not light -- it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/my-work-is-about-your-seeing-there-is-a-rich-tradition-in-painting-of/)

[James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/)

> [Make a painting you can work on for a long period, and make it look like it doesn't show any effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/make-a-painting-you-can-work-on-for-a-long-period-and-make-it-look/)

[Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/)

> [I'm a tireless worker; I don't consider painting a work, it is not an obligation, I do it for pleasure; I haven't found anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-botero/i-m-a-tireless-worker-i-don-t-consider-painting-a-work-it-is-not-an/)

[Fernando Botero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-botero/)

> [What one has most to work and struggle for in painting is to do the work with a great amount of labour and sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/what-one-has-most-to-work-and-struggle-for-in-painting-is-to-do-the/)

[Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/)

> [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/i-collect-my-tools-sight-smell-touch-taste-hearing-intellect-night/)

[Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/)

> [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [Photography's potential as a great image-maker and communicator is really no different from the same potential in the best poetry where familiar, everyday words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-caponigro/photography-s-potential-as-a-great-image-maker-and-communicator-is/)

[Paul Caponigro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-caponigro/)

> [“Whenever we think, we construct a world that is centred upon the object of our thinking; whenever we act, we reconstruct a world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/whenever-we-think-we-construct-a-world-that-is-centred-upon-the/)

[Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/)

> [We do not claim that punning is legitimate wit. Wit consists in combination of ideas, punning in combination of words only. We wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-hosmer/we-do-not-claim-that-punning-is-legitimate-wit-wit-consists-in/)

[Harriet Hosmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-hosmer/)

> [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/)

[Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/)

> [“Your mind has the intellect to lift the world, your heart has the wisdom to better the world, and your soul has the genius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/your-mind-has-the-intellect-to-lift-the-world-your-heart-has-the/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

## More by Kerry James Marshall

> [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [I try to make work about things that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-try-to-make-work-about-things-that-matter/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [I stumbled upon Charles White purely by chance while looking through a book 'Great Negroes, Past and Present' in the library at Forty-Ninth Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-stumbled-upon-charles-white-purely-by-chance-while-looking-through/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [The lighter the skin, the more acceptable you are. The darker the skin, the more marginalised you become. I want to demonstrate that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-lighter-the-skin-the-more-acceptable-you-are-the-darker-the-skin/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [Artwork operates on two different levels: On one level there's artwork as a mode of expressivity, and then there's the other side, where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/artwork-operates-on-two-different-levels-on-one-level-there-s-artwork/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [One of the things I recognized early on, doing whatever studies of black history I have, is that even though black folks were transported…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/one-of-the-things-i-recognized-early-on-doing-whatever-studies-of/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [If you walk into any magazine store, I guarantee that nine out of 10 covers will feature white, blonde, blue-eyed, slim women because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/if-you-walk-into-any-magazine-store-i-guarantee-that-nine-out-of-10/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [For black people who are really dark - and a lot of black people were averse to be dark skinned - it was believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/for-black-people-who-are-really-dark-and-a-lot-of-black-people-were/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [Before people outside of the Western European tradition started asking to be in there, the people who were accumulating objects for the museum were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/before-people-outside-of-the-western-european-tradition-started/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [What I hope 'Mastry' ends up doing is completely undermining or doing away with the notion that artists are a savant: that they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/what-i-hope-mastry-ends-up-doing-is-completely-undermining-or-doing/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [My dream was always to be in museums. It's a big and important milestone and a fulfillment of one of my primary ambitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/my-dream-was-always-to-be-in-museums-it-s-a-big-and-important/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [ In \[Ralph\] Ellison's case, it's more psychological than it is phenomenal, and it's conditioned by anger, animosity, and lack of desire to engage with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/in-ralph-ellison-s-case-it-s-more-psychological-than-it-is-phenomenal/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [When I started, I was aware of using the black as a rhetorical device. It's understanding that black people come in a wide range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-i-started-i-was-aware-of-using-the-black-as-a-rhetorical-device/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [No one has a right to occupy the privileged position all the time, so it should be contested. It should always be messy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/no-one-has-a-right-to-occupy-the-privileged-position-all-the-time-so/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

> [I don't want the pictures to mean things. But the implication of the image and its relationship to the people that are viewing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/i-don-t-want-the-pictures-to-mean-things-but-the-implication-of-the/)

[Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

[Explore all 103 Kerry James Marshall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there; it's information, and it's work.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kerry James Marshall"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/240/kerry-james-marshall-5157_artist_there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intell_5113.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's nothing more special than intellect and labour that makes painting work. There's no magic there…” — Kerry James Marshall",
                "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": "Kerry James Marshall",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's nothing more special than intellect...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/there-s-nothing-more-special-than-intellect-and-labour-that-makes/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```