--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what all painting is about, it”s…" description: "\"That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light occupied by human presences.\" — Leon Kossoff" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png" --- # That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light… ![“That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light occupied by human presences.” quote by Leon Kossoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png) > “That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light occupied by human presences.” [Leon Kossoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-kossoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Painting captures the interplay of space and light shaped by human presence, emphasizing relational perception. **In simple terms:** Painting reflects space, light, humans. Key Takeaway Observe environment. Themes art space light human presence perception Mood contemplative artistic Type artist visual philosophical When to use this quote - gallery curation - art education - studio practice Key Concepts visual composition environmental influence human-centered art Questions to Reflect On - How does human presence alter perception? - What role does light play in art? A Different Perspective Ignoring human context limits meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Human Presences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-presences-5135841/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Occupied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-occupied-5135842/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-space-5135840/) [Presences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presences-560331/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [“What explanation does Ibn Arabi give for these phenomena ? A first explanation invokes the hierarchical planes of being, the Hadarat, or "Presences." There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-corbin/what-explanation-does-ibn-arabi-give-for-these-phenomena-a-first/) [Henry Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-corbin/) > [“Some ghosts or felt presences may simply be the essence of another living person projected outward while sleeping.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-dillon/some-ghosts-or-felt-presences-may-simply-be-the-essence-of-another/) [Doug Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dillon/) > [“This is Tehran for me: its absences were more real than its presences”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/this-is-tehran-for-me-its-absences-were-more-real-than-its-presences/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [Listen to presences inside poems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/listen-to-presences-inside-poems/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Do you not feel’, said the Doctor in his very soft but still crisp-edged voice, ‘that invisible presences have more reality than visible ones?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/do-you-not-feel-said-the-doctor-in-his-very-soft-but-still-crisp/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [“When I am alone the flowers are really seen; I can pay attention to them. 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Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“It was the absences that had made her think, not the presences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/it-was-the-absences-that-had-made-her-think-not-the-presences/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [Poetry is not truth, it is the resurrection of presences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/poetry-is-not-truth-it-is-the-resurrection-of-presences/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [When I am alone the flowers are really seen; I can pay attention to them. They are felt as presences. Without them I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/when-i-am-alone-the-flowers-are-really-seen-i-can-pay-attention-to/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) > [I think there are presences out there that we can't see or directly communicate with that have benevolent influence on us. Whether they're angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-collins/i-think-there-are-presences-out-there-that-we-can-t-see-or-directly/) [Misha Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-collins/) > [People have presences, both online and in real life. You can choose to show everything, meaning all sides of you, or you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/people-have-presences-both-online-and-in-real-life-you-can-choose-to/) [Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/) > [“there are moments when we understand that the earth and the sky and the presences that may lie behind them are always with us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/there-are-moments-when-we-understand-that-the-earth-and-the-sky-and/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) > [There are absences, but there are also presences. It's about how painting can evolve its own abstractions. I didn't know the painting was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-cooke/there-are-absences-but-there-are-also-presences-it-s-about-how/) [Nigel Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-cooke/) ## 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. 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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": "That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light occupied by human presences.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leon Kossoff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kossoff/that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-space-and-light-occupied-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kossoff/that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-space-and-light-occupied-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ad/leon-kossoff-256184_artist_that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-s_639410.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's what all painting is about, it”s space and light occupied by human presences.” — Leon Kossoff", "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": "Leon Kossoff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-kossoff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That's what all painting is about,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kossoff/that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-space-and-light-occupied-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kossoff/that-s-what-all-painting-is-about-it-s-space-and-light-occupied-by/#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 } } ] } ```