--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big picture is that there is no big…" description: "\"The big picture is that there is no big picture. That's why we keep painting it.\" — Ronald Sukenick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/ronald-sukenick-53591_artist_the-big-picture-is-that-there-is-no-big_2839903.png" --- # The big picture is that there is no big picture. That's… ![“The big picture is that there is no big picture. That's why we keep painting it.” quote by Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/ronald-sukenick-53591_artist_the-big-picture-is-that-there-is-no-big_2839903.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/ronald-sukenick-53591_artist_the-big-picture-is-that-there-is-no-big_2839903.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/957/ronald-sukenick-53591_artist_the-big-picture-is-that-there-is-no-big_2839903.png) > “The big picture is that there is no big picture. That's why we keep painting it.” [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The notion of a single, overarching perspective is an illusion; we constantly reconstruct narratives. **In simple terms:** No single perspective exists; we constantly reshape views. Key Takeaway Embrace multiple viewpoints. Themes perception art relativism Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - creative writing - visual arts - critical analysis - philosophical debate Key Concepts postmodernism subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing multiple perspectives change your approach? - When is a unified view useful? A Different Perspective The idea may overlook the value of coherent frameworks for decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Big picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-picture/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture/) ## Related quotes > [If you think you are the entire picture, you will never see the big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-think-you-are-the-entire-picture-you-will-never-see-the-big/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Some people are blind to the big picture, because they made up their own big picture !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/some-people-are-blind-to-the-big-picture-because-they-made-up-their/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [God is God and I am not. I can only see a part of the picture He's painting...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-curtis-chapman/god-is-god-and-i-am-not-i-can-only-see-a-part-of-the-picture-he-s/) [Steven Curtis Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-curtis-chapman/) > [There's always the challenge of trying to do a road trip picture with a big group of cast and crew, because it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/there-s-always-the-challenge-of-trying-to-do-a-road-trip-picture-with/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [I believe that sometimes, when we talk about books, we're talking about the big picture - how they're relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/i-believe-that-sometimes-when-we-talk-about-books-we-re-talking-about/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [To be part of the big picture, whether it's celebrity interviews or seeing how big the U.S. Open is in New York or on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-shriver/to-be-part-of-the-big-picture-whether-it-s-celebrity-interviews-or/) [Pam Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-shriver/) > [The big picture doesn't just come from distance; it also comes from time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/the-big-picture-doesn-t-just-come-from-distance-it-also-comes-from/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [You're not always going to get the outcomes you feel like your talent deserves, that you feel like the big picture deserves. And what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/you-re-not-always-going-to-get-the-outcomes-you-feel-like-your-talent/) [Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/) > [When you pay attention to detail, the big picture will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/when-you-pay-attention-to-detail-the-big-picture-will-take-care-of/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [I was a very curious young man in many different aspects. My curiosity about all the things that came with football became very strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicklas-bendtner/i-was-a-very-curious-young-man-in-many-different-aspects-my-curiosity/) [Nicklas Bendtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicklas-bendtner/) > [I am a bigger-picture manager because I've lived through something that's a big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-am-a-bigger-picture-manager-because-i-ve-lived-through-something/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I think that the fact of the matter is that metal isn't really part of the big picture of the gay, lesbian, transgender music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-think-that-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-metal-isn-t-really-part/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [When scientists are asked what they are working on, their response is seldom 'Finding the origin of the universe' or 'Seeking to cure cancer.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/when-scientists-are-asked-what-they-are-working-on-their-response-is/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) ## More by Ronald Sukenick > [The law of mosaics: how to deal with parts in the absence of wholes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sukenick/the-law-of-mosaics-how-to-deal-with-parts-in-the-absence-of-wholes/) [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) > [“I want to write a book like a cloud that changes as it goes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sukenick/i-want-to-write-a-book-like-a-cloud-that-changes-as-it-goes/) [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) > [People read fiction... to learn something about how to live their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sukenick/people-read-fiction-to-learn-something-about-how-to-live-their-lives/) [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) > [If you don't use your own imagination, somebody else is going to use it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sukenick/if-you-don-t-use-your-own-imagination-somebody-else-is-going-to-use/) [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) > [“Use your imagination," I tell my students these days, "or someone else is going to use it for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-sukenick/use-your-imagination-i-tell-my-students-these-days-or-someone-else-is/) [Ronald Sukenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) [Explore all 6 Ronald Sukenick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-sukenick/) ## 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 > [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. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. 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": "The big picture is that there is no big picture. 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