--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I only work in relation to what the work…" description: "\"I only work in relation to what the work is about. Yes, of course, if the world's coming to an end I would basically try to get out of the way when the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/lawrence-weiner-17466_coming-to-an-end_i-only-work-in-relation-to-what-the-work_3044735.jpg" --- # I only work in relation to what the work is about. Yes, of… ![“I only work in relation to what the work is about. Yes, of course, if the world's coming to an end I would basically try to get out of the way when the sky falls.” quote by Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/lawrence-weiner-17466_coming-to-an-end_i-only-work-in-relation-to-what-the-work_3044735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/lawrence-weiner-17466_coming-to-an-end_i-only-work-in-relation-to-what-the-work_3044735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/lawrence-weiner-17466_coming-to-an-end_i-only-work-in-relation-to-what-the-work_3044735.jpg) > “I only work in relation to what the work is about. Yes, of course, if the world's coming to an end I would basically try to get out of the way when the sky falls.” [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art should be judged on its own terms, not on external catastrophes. **In simple terms:** Focus on the work itself, not the world ending. Key Takeaway Prioritize the work’s intrinsic value. Themes art context philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - gallery openings - artist statements - critical reviews Key Concepts aesthetics existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What defines a work’s worth independent of context? - Should art respond to global crises? A Different Perspective Ignoring external chaos may ignore relevant societal impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think any relation can work if one dominates. 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Once you accept there’s nothing that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-corliss/the-reality-is-that-no-matter-what-you-do-in-this-life-it-s-coming-to/) [Jeb Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-corliss/) > [“Their time is coming to an end, we have to Unify and watch our flag ascend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muse/their-time-is-coming-to-an-end-we-have-to-unify-and-watch-our-flag/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muse/) > [Great, the worlds coming to an end and we're fixing it with Band-Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-beth-pfeffer/great-the-worlds-coming-to-an-end-and-we-re-fixing-it-with-band-aids/) [Susan Beth Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-beth-pfeffer/) > [Civilization is coming to an end, you understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/civilization-is-coming-to-an-end-you-understand/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [“And here was the moment. 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It's hard to imagine that this is coming to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/my-life-between-22-yards-for-24-years-it-s-hard-to-imagine-that-this/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [“And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to an end; but that was not to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-so-for-a-time-it-looked-as-if-all-the-adventures-were-coming-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By the time I got 'Suits,' I thought my time in Hollywood was coming to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-adams/by-the-time-i-got-suits-i-thought-my-time-in-hollywood-was-coming-to/) [Patrick J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-j-adams/) ## More by Lawrence Weiner > [In my eyes, making art is very often about something that you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/in-my-eyes-making-art-is-very-often-about-something-that-you-don-t/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [I think there should be a reworking of the value structure of art. The value is when the artist makes a first engagement with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/i-think-there-should-be-a-reworking-of-the-value-structure-of-art-the/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [I think it's a waste of time to worry about the motives of why people are supportive of things. I think we should look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/i-think-it-s-a-waste-of-time-to-worry-about-the-motives-of-why-people/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [ What interested me the most was that when I \[traveled to Europe\] I knew what Joseph Beuys was doing, he knew what I was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/what-interested-me-the-most-was-that-when-i-traveled-to-europe-i-knew/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [We were brought up in a world which was based on Aristotle. Science-wise and everything, that's really quite exciting and you learn a lot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/we-were-brought-up-in-a-world-which-was-based-on-aristotle-science/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [There is a discrepancy of somebody going to an art dealer and promising what they'll make for the next three years. And I'm old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/there-is-a-discrepancy-of-somebody-going-to-an-art-dealer-and/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [Skills come with age, but wisdom, I doubt it very, very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/skills-come-with-age-but-wisdom-i-doubt-it-very-very-much/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [I'm not against art fairs, in fact this last one I even made money, but the concept is really disgusting. If you're that rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/i-m-not-against-art-fairs-in-fact-this-last-one-i-even-made-money-but/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [People, buying my stuff, can take it wherever they go and can rebuild it if they choose. If they keep it in their heads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/people-buying-my-stuff-can-take-it-wherever-they-go-and-can-rebuild/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [The concept of who your audience is becomes more important than your site. Sometimes you can be commissioned to do a piece in Strasburg,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/the-concept-of-who-your-audience-is-becomes-more-important-than-your/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [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/) > [Art's supposed to build logic structures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/art-s-supposed-to-build-logic-structures/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [There is a primacy of each individual object. And we'll see! That's the whole point of making sculpture, to present a question in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/there-is-a-primacy-of-each-individual-object-and-we-ll-see-that-s-the/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [The art schools seem to be trying to turn people out as "professional." But I don't know what the word "professional" means any longer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/the-art-schools-seem-to-be-trying-to-turn-people-out-as-professional/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) > [Genitive is a funny word because it means "from," but it also is the gender in European languages for objects: the masculine, feminine, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-weiner/genitive-is-a-funny-word-because-it-means-from-but-it-also-is-the/) [Lawrence Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) [Explore all 37 Lawrence Weiner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-weiner/) ## More Coming to an end quotes > [“A courteous war mage. The world really was coming to an end. 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It's hard to imagine that this is coming to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/my-life-between-22-yards-for-24-years-it-s-hard-to-imagine-that-this/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [Something told him that something was coming to an end. Not the world, exactly. Just the summer. There would be other summers, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/something-told-him-that-something-was-coming-to-an-end-not-the-world/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“I guess it is what you do if you grow up with warnings of damnation ringing from every church door and radio station and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/i-guess-it-is-what-you-do-if-you-grow-up-with-warnings-of-damnation/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [“And here was the moment. The end of it all, for civilization was merely another name for friendship, and friendship was coming to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/and-here-was-the-moment-the-end-of-it-all-for-civilization-was-merely/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [Mr. Obama said that he personally told Mr. Putin to knock it off and vows to retaliate. But the Obama presidency is coming to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/mr-obama-said-that-he-personally-told-mr-putin-to-knock-it-off-and/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [Civilization is coming to an end, you understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/civilization-is-coming-to-an-end-you-understand/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [The era during which only governments could put hardware on the Moon is coming to an end. 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