--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to act and this is something…" description: "\"You have to act and this is something that happened in abstract expressionism too, it was a discovery particularly in De Kooning's paintings, great pai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f1/michael-snow-23433_abstract_you-have-to-act-and-this-is-something-th_3211917.jpg" --- # You have to act and this is something that happened in… ![“You have to act and this is something that happened in abstract expressionism too, it was a discovery particularly in De Kooning's paintings, great paintings. There's a lot of speed in his work and the speed produces things that only speed can produce.” quote by Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f1/michael-snow-23433_abstract_you-have-to-act-and-this-is-something-th_3211917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f1/michael-snow-23433_abstract_you-have-to-act-and-this-is-something-th_3211917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f1/michael-snow-23433_abstract_you-have-to-act-and-this-is-something-th_3211917.jpg) > “You have to act and this is something that happened in abstract expressionism too, it was a discovery particularly in De Kooning's paintings, great paintings. There's a lot of speed in his work and the speed produces things that only speed can produce.” [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artistic discovery arises from rapid, instinctive creation, yielding unique results unattainable through slower methods **In simple terms:** Speed in creation can generate exclusive outcomes Key Takeaway Allow spontaneity to guide creative work Themes creativity process expression art history Mood energetic inquisitive Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - painting sessions - improvisational design - performance art - creative workshops Key Concepts abstract expressionism de Kooning artistic intuition Questions to Reflect On - Can speed ever replace thoughtful planning? - What balance between speed and reflection yields the best art? A Different Perspective Rapid creation may sacrifice depth or deliberation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Abstract expressionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract-expressionism/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Expressionism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressionism/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) ## Related quotes > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I think more than writers, the major influences on me have been European movies, jazz, and Abstract Expressionism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-think-more-than-writers-the-major-influences-on-me-have-been/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Abstract expressionism was the first American art that was filled with anger as well as beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-motherwell/abstract-expressionism-was-the-first-american-art-that-was-filled/) [Robert Motherwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-motherwell/) > [Abstract Expressionism - the first American movement to have a worldwide influence - was remarkably short-lived: It heated up after World War II and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/abstract-expressionism-the-first-american-movement-to-have-a/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [When I was going to school and under the influence of Abstract Expressionism, I believed that if you had a give-and-take rapport with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-lichtenstein/when-i-was-going-to-school-and-under-the-influence-of-abstract/) [Roy Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-lichtenstein/) > [There was something about the self-confession and self-confusion of Abstract expressionism - as though the man and the work were the same - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rauschenberg/there-was-something-about-the-self-confession-and-self-confusion-of/) [Robert Rauschenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rauschenberg/) > [I went to the Mary Lee Burbank School in Belmont. And it was a place where you, like, learned to go to the store?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/i-went-to-the-mary-lee-burbank-school-in-belmont-and-it-was-a-place/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [I wanted to be a painter, somewhere between Abstract Expressionism and Pop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-huey/i-wanted-to-be-a-painter-somewhere-between-abstract-expressionism-and/) [Aaron Huey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-huey/) > [I was a student at Harvard, and that's where I learned about so-called avant-garde music. Jackson Pollock, abstract expressionism and painting were well known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-flynt/i-was-a-student-at-harvard-and-that-s-where-i-learned-about-so-called/) [Henry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-flynt/) > [The big shock of my life was Abstract Expressionism - Pollock, de Kooning, those guys. It changed my work. I was an academically trained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/the-big-shock-of-my-life-was-abstract-expressionism-pollock-de/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [But no one, when you stop to think, has ever equated abstract expressionism as a movement with jazz music. It's based on improvisation. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romare-bearden/but-no-one-when-you-stop-to-think-has-ever-equated-abstract/) [Romare Bearden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romare-bearden/) > [We live in an age when the traditional great subjects - the human form, the landscape, even newer traditions such as abstract expressionism -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/we-live-in-an-age-when-the-traditional-great-subjects-the-human-form/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I would be constantly brought up on the carpet by these teachers who were brought up with Abstract Expressionism, saying, "You're too uptight, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/i-would-be-constantly-brought-up-on-the-carpet-by-these-teachers-who/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [With experience it seems to be possible to control the flow of paint, to a great extent, and I don't use - I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/with-experience-it-seems-to-be-possible-to-control-the-flow-of-paint/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [I don't use the accident - 'cause I deny the accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/i-don-t-use-the-accident-cause-i-deny-the-accident/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) ## More by Michael Snow > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [If you think too much in the music you are too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/if-you-think-too-much-in-the-music-you-are-too-late/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I do a lot of challenges I run marathons and stuff like that and I like to challenge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-do-a-lot-of-challenges-i-run-marathons-and-stuff-like-that-and-i/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [The idea that recording itself is an instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/the-idea-that-recording-itself-is-an-instrument/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [When you narrow down your range and are looking through just that narrow aperture of the lens, the intensity of what you see is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-you-narrow-down-your-range-and-are-looking-through-just-that/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I don't know what is happening to people but they are not as tough as they used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-don-t-know-what-is-happening-to-people-but-they-are-not-as-tough-as/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I know there is also the influence of television and being able to zap away so it is a weightier decision to go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-know-there-is-also-the-influence-of-television-and-being-able-to/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [The things that can go wrong are particular to mediums and they make for qualities that really are of the medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/the-things-that-can-go-wrong-are-particular-to-mediums-and-they-make/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I really want to make physical things so that the experience is a real experience and not just conceptual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-really-want-to-make-physical-things-so-that-the-experience-is-a/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [The piano is a bit of a monster because it is this center of Western music and so much has been done with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/the-piano-is-a-bit-of-a-monster-because-it-is-this-center-of-western/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Some of my films have caused riots, fights, and all kinds of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/some-of-my-films-have-caused-riots-fights-and-all-kinds-of-things/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I am a little bit of a foul mouth and I just like to give it back to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-am-a-little-bit-of-a-foul-mouth-and-i-just-like-to-give-it-back-to/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [It is understandable that people cannot be knowledgeable about all the different mediums. Sometimes it is funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/it-is-understandable-that-people-cannot-be-knowledgeable-about-all/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [I don't watch a lot of reality TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/i-don-t-watch-a-lot-of-reality-tv/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) > [Speed is a way to escape consciousness and just act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/speed-is-a-way-to-escape-consciousness-and-just-act/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) [Explore all 26 Michael Snow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) Anthony W. Ivins > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to act and this is something that happened in abstract expressionism too, it was a discovery particularly in De Kooning's paintings, great paintings. 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