--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To me I think artists in general make a…" description: "\"To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every book - are variations on a theme.\" — Mark Moth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg" --- # To me I think artists in general make a statement - and… ![“To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every book - are variations on a theme.” quote by Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg) > “To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every book - are variations on a theme.” [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists continuously explore variations on core themes across their works. **In simple terms:** Artists repeatedly revisit and reinterpret central ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace thematic consistency while innovating. Themes art creativity thematic development Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - album production - book writing - visual arts - performance Key Concepts artistic identity cultural expression Questions to Reflect On - How do artists balance consistency and novelty? - When does thematic repetition become redundancy? A Different Perspective Repetition may risk stagnation without fresh perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Albums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Artists General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artists-general-4495862/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Variations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-variations-5564495/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme/) [Think Artists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-artists/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Variation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variation/) [Variations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variations/) [Variations Theme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variations-theme-1509059/) ## Related quotes > [There are only a few notes. Just variations on a theme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/there-are-only-a-few-notes-just-variations-on-a-theme/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Ninety percent of the book variations have no great value, because either they contain mistakes or they are based on fallacious assumptions; just forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-raul-capablanca/ninety-percent-of-the-book-variations-have-no-great-value-because/) [Jose Raul Capablanca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-raul-capablanca/) > [Artists in general never stay in the same place, we keep growing. It's still you, you still have that core that you always had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/artists-in-general-never-stay-in-the-same-place-we-keep-growing-it-s/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I rather envy writers who do variations on a theme. I like reading those books, but in practice, I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lanchester/i-rather-envy-writers-who-do-variations-on-a-theme-i-like-reading/) [John Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lanchester/) > [I'm very interested in variations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jarmusch/i-m-very-interested-in-variations/) [Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jarmusch/) > [Different people call me different things. In America, people really struggle with my name, so I don't have a nickname as such. I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharlto-copley/different-people-call-me-different-things-in-america-people-really/) [Sharlto Copley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharlto-copley/) > [You would never hear any song played twice in the same way. The words were retained, but within a certain frame there was great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/you-would-never-hear-any-song-played-twice-in-the-same-way-the-words/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There are no variations except for those who know a norm, and no subtleties for those who have not grasped the obvious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/there-are-no-variations-except-for-those-who-know-a-norm-and-no/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The iambic pentameter owes its pre-eminence in English poetry to its genius for variation. Good blank verse does not sound like a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/the-iambic-pentameter-owes-its-pre-eminence-in-english-poetry-to-its/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [It is said that an ounce of common sense can outweigh a ton of 'variations'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savielly-tartakower/it-is-said-that-an-ounce-of-common-sense-can-outweigh-a-ton-of/) [Savielly Tartakower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savielly-tartakower/) > [I am a great believer in variations on the routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaye-gibbons/i-am-a-great-believer-in-variations-on-the-routine/) [Kaye Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaye-gibbons/) > [I always say that I can play sort of six variations on one girl, all of whom are a variation on me. Maybe I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-always-say-that-i-can-play-sort-of-six-variations-on-one-girl-all/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [ The \[Five Second Rule\] has many variations, including The Three Second Rule, The Seven Second Rule, and the extremely handy and versatile The However… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-pasricha/the-five-second-rule-has-many-variations-including-the-three-second/) [Neil Pasricha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-pasricha/) > [You only get to walk variations of the same lines everyone has already drawn for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/you-only-get-to-walk-variations-of-the-same-lines-everyone-has/) [Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/) > [Diplomacy is like jazz: endless variations on a theme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-holbrooke/diplomacy-is-like-jazz-endless-variations-on-a-theme/) [Richard Holbrooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-holbrooke/) ## More by Mark Mothersbaugh > [Rebellion is obsolete - change things from the inside working out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/rebellion-is-obsolete-change-things-from-the-inside-working-out/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [I think somewhere around high school, your brain starts to gel, to harden. Before that, there’s this time where anything is possible and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/i-think-somewhere-around-high-school-your-brain-starts-to-gel-to/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [Choose your mutations carefully...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/choose-your-mutations-carefully/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [With vinyl you had twenty-two minutes per side. CDs came along, and you had sixty, seventy, eighty minutes and people felt like they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/with-vinyl-you-had-twenty-two-minutes-per-side-cds-came-along-and-you/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [Right now I just finished writing the music for a Rugrats feature film and the third week of September I go to London, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/right-now-i-just-finished-writing-the-music-for-a-rugrats-feature/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [I write all the time. I do artwork that's part of a diary, and I write short stories to go with them pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/i-write-all-the-time-i-do-artwork-that-s-part-of-a-diary-and-i-write/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [What makes games so exciting is that's a whole other- there's all sorts of other considerations on what music is supposed to achieve and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/what-makes-games-so-exciting-is-that-s-a-whole-other-there-s-all/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [When I was a kid, I would go to the record store, where there was a bin of things they didn't know quite how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/when-i-was-a-kid-i-would-go-to-the-record-store-where-there-was-a-bin/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [I was lucky enough to get to perform on stage in front of 20 million people on TV, and 150 thousand in concerts. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/i-was-lucky-enough-to-get-to-perform-on-stage-in-front-of-20-million/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [I really appreciate anyone trying to inject art into mainstream film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/i-really-appreciate-anyone-trying-to-inject-art-into-mainstream-film/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [With MTV in the '80s, you made your album but then you needed to use any money you made to create a video -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/with-mtv-in-the-80s-you-made-your-album-but-then-you-needed-to-use/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [Personally Im very happy to be behind the scenes. I like collaboration, I like working with directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/personally-im-very-happy-to-be-behind-the-scenes-i-like-collaboration/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [I've worked with a lot of directors, some of them you wouldn't really attach the word 'artist' to their name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/i-ve-worked-with-a-lot-of-directors-some-of-them-you-wouldn-t-really/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [When I'm writing a theme song for a TV show I always think, "What would be Pavlovian where a kid would be in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/when-i-m-writing-a-theme-song-for-a-tv-show-i-always-think-what-would/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) > [This is the fourth movie that I've done with this set of director-writers and I've learned to trust them at this point, because actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/this-is-the-fourth-movie-that-i-ve-done-with-this-set-of-director/) [Mark Mothersbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) [Explore all 35 Mark Mothersbaugh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/) ## More Albums quotes > [Check out the albums, ... Check out the live performances. That's the reality of it all. Music is such an energizing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayall/check-out-the-albums-check-out-the-live-performances-that-s-the/) [John Mayall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayall/) > [It's been really fun to see with each album when I change to see the fans of the show emulate my style and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/it-s-been-really-fun-to-see-with-each-album-when-i-change-to-see-the/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [The weird thing was that Soft Cell was supposed to have come and gone before I started the album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/the-weird-thing-was-that-soft-cell-was-supposed-to-have-come-and-gone/) [Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/) > [I believe in full albums, and whatever comes out of those full albums will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-ricch/i-believe-in-full-albums-and-whatever-comes-out-of-those-full-albums/) [Roddy Ricch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-ricch/) > [Doing my own album provided me the opportunity to say whatever I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marx/doing-my-own-album-provided-me-the-opportunity-to-say-whatever-i/) [Richard Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marx/) > [The album is a definite departure. I haven't written original material before, except for one song on my first album, but Elvis and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-krall/the-album-is-a-definite-departure-i-haven-t-written-original-material/) [Diana Krall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-krall/) > [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I love Katy Perry! She gave me a song for my second album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/i-love-katy-perry-she-gave-me-a-song-for-my-second-album/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [If you're going to reach for it, reach all the way for it. Albums like 'Purple Rain' and 'Thriller' and those kind of records,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sitek/if-you-re-going-to-reach-for-it-reach-all-the-way-for-it-albums-like/) [Dave Sitek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sitek/) > [I'll put out an album, and people review it, and some people love it, and some people tear it apart. By nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-ll-put-out-an-album-and-people-review-it-and-some-people-love-it/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) > [I've been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-ve-been-connected-to-the-most-culturally-important-albums-of-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [George Winston piano albums have been my go-to since junior high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/george-winston-piano-albums-have-been-my-go-to-since-junior-high/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [Someone told me once that Lucinda Williams takes six years between albums, and that's what stuck to me; it's like, you really are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/someone-told-me-once-that-lucinda-williams-takes-six-years-between/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) [Browse all 2,275 Albums quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every book - are variations on a theme.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Mothersbaugh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a-statement-and-for-the-rest-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Albums" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a-statement-and-for-the-rest-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c99/mark-mothersbaugh-18100_albums_to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a_3135595.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To me I think artists in general make a statement - and for the rest of their lives - every album, every…” — Mark Mothersbaugh", "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": "Mark Mothersbaugh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mothersbaugh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To me I think artists in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a-statement-and-for-the-rest-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mothersbaugh/to-me-i-think-artists-in-general-make-a-statement-and-for-the-rest-of/#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 } } ] } ```