Allowing Quote by Matthew Barney
“A lot of my work has to do with not allowing my characters to have an ego in a way that the stomach doesn't have an ego when it's wanting to throw up. It just does it”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Art Forum, 2015
Artists should suppress ego, allowing instinctual, bodily impulses to guide creation.
In simple terms: Let instinct, not ego, drive art.
Key Takeaway
Create from visceral feeling, not self‑importance.
Themes
ego
instinct
artistic process
Mood
introspective
experimental
Type
artistic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- performance art
- film
- sculpture
Key Concepts
embodiment
authenticity
creative flow
Questions to Reflect On
- How does bodily instinct shape art?
- Can ego be fully eliminated?
A Different Perspective
Ego can still influence subconscious decisions.
![“[I have a] way of making narrative sculpture, where first you make a text and out of that text you make objects. [...] I start with a story and then I make sculpture from that story, it's just that the stories become more and more elaborate.” quote by Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg)
