---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [I have a] way of making narrative…"
description: "\"[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 ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg"
---

#  \[I have a\] way of making narrative sculpture, where first…

![“&#91;I have a&#93; way of making narrative sculpture, where first you make a text and out of that text you make objects. &#91;...&#93; 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/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg)

> “\[I have a\] 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.”

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He creates narrative sculpture by first writing a story, then turning that story into physical objects, deepening the narrative.

**In simple terms:** He builds sculptures from stories, making them more elaborate.

Key Takeaway

Transform narratives into tactile art forms.

Themes

sculpture storytelling process art translation

Mood

creative experimental

Type

visual conceptual

When to use this quote

- gallery installations
- public art
- performance art

Key Concepts

materiality conceptual art interdisciplinary practice

Questions to Reflect On

- How does material choice affect storytelling?
- What challenges arise when converting text to object?

A Different Perspective

Physical constraints can limit narrative depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Making Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-narrative-4709259/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Narrative Sculpture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-sculpture-4709260/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Sculpture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sculpture/) [Sculpture Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sculpture-story-4709261/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-make/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm a slave to my imagination in terms of making narrative films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/i-m-a-slave-to-my-imagination-in-terms-of-making-narrative-films/)

[Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/)

> [Narrative, fiction filmmaking is the culmination of several art forms: theater, art history, architecture. Whereas doc filmmaking is more pure cinema, like cinema verité…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hickenlooper/narrative-fiction-filmmaking-is-the-culmination-of-several-art-forms/)

[George Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hickenlooper/)

> [“It sounds nicer than it seems in the book," she would say. "I never cared about Mary, Queen of Scots, before, and I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/it-sounds-nicer-than-it-seems-in-the-book-she-would-say-i-never-cared/)

[Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/)

> [If you've a story, make sure it's a whole one, with details close to hand. It's the difference between a good lie and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamora-pierce/if-you-ve-a-story-make-sure-it-s-a-whole-one-with-details-close-to/)

[Tamora Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamora-pierce/)

> [I think there's a natural link between the fact that our self is a story that we make up and that we're drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-there-s-a-natural-link-between-the-fact-that-our-self-is-a/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

> [“She tells me life is a story. We can make it a Harlequin romance, a mistery, a memoir. We can make it pamphlet-size or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/she-tells-me-life-is-a-story-we-can-make-it-a-harlequin-romance-a/)

[Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/)

> [You don't have to have a true story to make a true story movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-coen/you-don-t-have-to-have-a-true-story-to-make-a-true-story-movie/)

[Ethan Coen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-coen/)

> [“Never settle for half the story, and make-up and imagine the rest. Get the full Story!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rycj/never-settle-for-half-the-story-and-make-up-and-imagine-the-rest-get/)

[Rycj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rycj/)

> [“Why would you save me? Because you, mouse, can tell Gregory a story. Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/why-would-you-save-me-because-you-mouse-can-tell-gregory-a-story/)

[Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/)

> [“Your life is your story, so make choices that will write it the way you want it to be written”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-stonex/your-life-is-your-story-so-make-choices-that-will-write-it-the-way/)

[Brooke Stonex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-stonex/)

> [Sometimes you know the story. Sometimes you make it up as you go along and have no idea how it will come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/sometimes-you-know-the-story-sometimes-you-make-it-up-as-you-go-along/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [Every song is a long process. First I have to write a story for it, and then to make it into a song, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonita-alizadeh/every-song-is-a-long-process-first-i-have-to-write-a-story-for-it-and/)

[Sonita Alizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonita-alizadeh/)

> [“Have a story. And make sure it’s a good one. A DAMN good one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macleod/have-a-story-and-make-sure-it-s-a-good-one-a-damn-good-one/)

[Hugh MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macleod/)

> [Self-trust is so important. When you launch on a story, make your neck loose, feel free, good-natured. And be lazy. Feel that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/self-trust-is-so-important-when-you-launch-on-a-story-make-your-neck/)

[Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-ueland/)

> [“You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another, until you found the right one at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-couldn-t-ever-really-fix-a-sad-story-you-could-only-make-another/)

[Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/)

## More 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/a-lot-of-my-work-has-to-do-with-not-allowing-my-characters-to-have-an/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I have a need to make these sorts of connections literal sometimes, and a vehicle often helps to do that. I have a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-have-a-need-to-make-these-sorts-of-connections-literal-sometimes/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I'm less interested in skin than in fascia -- connective tissue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-m-less-interested-in-skin-than-in-fascia-connective-tissue/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [Somebody like Mailer brings to that role everything that he stands for. The types of characters that I gravitate towards, the types of icons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/somebody-like-mailer-brings-to-that-role-everything-that-he-stands/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [A lot of these angles are really about trying to mimic broadcast sports angles in order to anchor the scene, to sort of normalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/a-lot-of-these-angles-are-really-about-trying-to-mimic-broadcast/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I've always thought of the project as a sort of sexually driven digestive system, that it was a consumer and a producer of matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-ve-always-thought-of-the-project-as-a-sort-of-sexually-driven/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [An interesting thing happened in 1989, right as I was graduating: the stock market crashed and really changed the landscape of the art world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/an-interesting-thing-happened-in-1989-right-as-i-was-graduating-the/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I think what interests me the most is when the two things are developed at the same time, which certainly feels natural for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-think-what-interests-me-the-most-is-when-the-two-things-are/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [Jackass: The Movie is great. I think it's in the tradition of physical comedy, which I'm really interested in. Its relationship to gravity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/jackass-the-movie-is-great-i-think-it-s-in-the-tradition-of-physical/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

> [I don't think my work is so strange. It's just a matter of having the discipline to go the whole way with an idea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-don-t-think-my-work-is-so-strange-it-s-just-a-matter-of-having-the/)

[Matthew Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

[Explore all 11 Matthew Barney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/)

## More Firsts quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/)

[Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/)

> [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/)

[A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/)

> [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/)

[Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/)

[Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/)

[Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/)

[Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/)

> [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/)

[Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/)

> [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/)

[Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/)

[Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[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.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Matthew Barney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculpture-where-first-you-make-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Firsts"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculpture-where-first-you-make-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c9/matthew-barney-39025_firsts_i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculptu_2992433.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[I have a] way of making narrative sculpture, where first you make a text and out of that text you make…” — Matthew Barney",
                "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": "Matthew Barney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-barney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[I have a] way of making...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculpture-where-first-you-make-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barney/i-have-a-way-of-making-narrative-sculpture-where-first-you-make-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
