--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is about paying attention." description: "\"Art is about paying attention.\" — Laurie Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png" --- # Art is about paying attention. ![“Art is about paying attention.” quote by Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png) > “Art is about paying attention.” [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art requires deep focus to notice details and meaning. **In simple terms:** Art is about paying close attention. Key Takeaway Practice mindful observation in creative work. Themes art attention perception Mood contemplative inspired Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - gallery visits - design - writing - performance Key Concepts mindfulness creativity Questions to Reflect On - How does attention shape artistic expression? - What habits improve your focus? A Different Perspective Distraction reduces artistic depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) ## Related quotes > [Taxpayers don't want their money spent more than a very, very slender amount on actual buying art or paying for concerts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/taxpayers-don-t-want-their-money-spent-more-than-a-very-very-slender/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [If you are lucky enough to be successful, you get drawn further in and you stop paying attention to the stuff that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-macaulay/if-you-are-lucky-enough-to-be-successful-you-get-drawn-further-in-and/) [David Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-macaulay/) > [You can't bluff someone that's not paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantegna/you-can-t-bluff-someone-that-s-not-paying-attention/) [Joe Mantegna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantegna/) > [I think it's nice to know that people in the industry are paying attention to all of the hard work you've done throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-think-it-s-nice-to-know-that-people-in-the-industry-are-paying/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [ \[If\] we can celebrate that in a way that celebrates our love for New England as well as our love for the Italian culture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/if-we-can-celebrate-that-in-a-way-that-celebrates-our-love-for-new/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I think in any writing you're paying attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-think-in-any-writing-you-re-paying-attention-to-detail/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [We often miss hearing God's voice simply because we aren't paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/we-often-miss-hearing-god-s-voice-simply-because-we-aren-t-paying/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Niches set back in the walls contained polished marble statues of entwined bodies. Will looked away from them hastily, and then back. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/niches-set-back-in-the-walls-contained-polished-marble-statues-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I want people to just be paying attention even if they're not necessarily laughing at something, or if it takes them a while to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-want-people-to-just-be-paying-attention-even-if-they-re-not/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I want my whole life to be a great work of art, not just my art. And that means paying attention to my entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/i-want-my-whole-life-to-be-a-great-work-of-art-not-just-my-art-and/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Laurie Anderson > [Being an artist is a totally godlike thing to do - and I have a god complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/being-an-artist-is-a-totally-godlike-thing-to-do-and-i-have-a-god/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [It's the tradition of American writers getting away in order to see the country - to get a better view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/it-s-the-tradition-of-american-writers-getting-away-in-order-to-see/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [If I'm confused, I just spend some time looking at the sky and falling into it. It's not a meditation that anyone taught me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/if-i-m-confused-i-just-spend-some-time-looking-at-the-sky-and-falling/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I think a lot of people in Washington are extremely suspicious of NASA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-think-a-lot-of-people-in-washington-are-extremely-suspicious-of-nasa/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [And there was a beutiful view But nobody could see Cause everybody on the island Was saying Look at me! Look at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/and-there-was-a-beutiful-view-but-nobody-could-see-cause-everybody-on/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I think artists who are attracted to working on the Net will adjust their work to the capabilities of a very small screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-think-artists-who-are-attracted-to-working-on-the-net-will-adjust/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Dogs don't just like us, they love us, and they admire us. The big reason they admire us is we invented cars. They're like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/dogs-don-t-just-like-us-they-love-us-and-they-admire-us-the-big/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Paradise Is exactly like Where you are right now Only much much Better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/paradise-is-exactly-like-where-you-are-right-now-only-much-much-better/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [A lot of the work in United States is highly critical of technology. I'm using 15,000 watts of power and 18 different pieces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/a-lot-of-the-work-in-united-states-is-highly-critical-of-technology-i/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Something that has so much power must have life. Instruments have life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/something-that-has-so-much-power-must-have-life-instruments-have-life/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [Books are the way the dead talk to the living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/books-are-the-way-the-dead-talk-to-the-living/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I see and write things first as an artist, second as a woman, and third as a New Yorker. All three have built-in perspectives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-see-and-write-things-first-as-an-artist-second-as-a-woman-and-third/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I am a New Yorker, one; I'm an artist, two; I'm a woman, three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-am-a-new-yorker-one-i-m-an-artist-two-i-m-a-woman-three/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I'm not usually where I think I am. It's kind of spooky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-m-not-usually-where-i-think-i-am-it-s-kind-of-spooky/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) [Explore all 118 Laurie Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## More Art quotes > [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/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [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/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“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 > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [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 only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [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/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Art is about paying attention.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurie Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/art-is-about-paying-attention/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/art-is-about-paying-attention/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/laurie-anderson-3908_art_art-is-about-paying-attention-3042092_3042092.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art is about paying attention.” — Laurie Anderson", "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": "Laurie Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Art is about paying attention.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/art-is-about-paying-attention/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/art-is-about-paying-attention/#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 } } ] } ```