--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that people tend to look at the…" description: "\"I think that people tend to look at the paintings as being resolved or finite. But, to me, a painting can be an index for all of the paintings I've don..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/sarah-morris-42432_done_i-think-that-people-tend-to-look-at-the_1485115.jpg" --- # I think that people tend to look at the paintings as being… ![“I think that people tend to look at the paintings as being resolved or finite. But, to me, a painting can be an index for all of the paintings I've done and all of the paintings I'm going to do. It's like if I'm doing a film of the Olympics, I'm not examining a specific sport; I'm interested in…” quote by Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/sarah-morris-42432_done_i-think-that-people-tend-to-look-at-the_1485115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/sarah-morris-42432_done_i-think-that-people-tend-to-look-at-the_1485115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cf/sarah-morris-42432_done_i-think-that-people-tend-to-look-at-the_1485115.jpg) > “I think that people tend to look at the paintings as being resolved or finite. But, to me, a painting can be an index for all of the paintings I've done and all of the paintings I'm going to do. It's like if I'm doing a film of the Olympics, I'm not examining a specific sport; I'm interested in the overall context.” [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A painting can serve as a reference point linking an artist’s past, present, and future works, emphasizing continuity over isolated pieces. **In simple terms:** Paintings are interconnected indexes. Key Takeaway View each work as part of a larger narrative. Themes art continuity context Mood contemplative inspired Type artistic conceptual When to use this quote - gallery exhibitions - artist retrospectives - creative planning Key Concepts semiotics visual narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does each work inform the next? - What larger story emerges? A Different Perspective Focusing on single pieces may limit broader insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [If people would just look at the paintings, I don't think they would have any trouble enjoying them. It's like looking at a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/if-people-would-just-look-at-the-paintings-i-don-t-think-they-would/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [That's what I paint, I paint people. They're portraits, but you won't always be pleased with the way you look in my paintings. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-kirke/that-s-what-i-paint-i-paint-people-they-re-portraits-but-you-won-t/) [Jemima Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-kirke/) > [When you look at the paintings at Chauvet Cave, they're not primitive or like children's little scribbles, it bursts on the scene fully accomplished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/when-you-look-at-the-paintings-at-chauvet-cave-they-re-not-primitive/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [It may be a cliche, but cliche or not, I fear the day when the only marsh harriers or peregrines I can look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/it-may-be-a-cliche-but-cliche-or-not-i-fear-the-day-when-the-only/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [I look at my paintings for a very long time before letting them out of my studio. I like to get on the treadmill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-scully/i-look-at-my-paintings-for-a-very-long-time-before-letting-them-out/) [Sean Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-scully/) > [She looked up at the sky, now tinged with orange. "Please live. Talk, think, act. And sometimes listen to music..." She stopped briefly. "Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koushun-takami/she-looked-up-at-the-sky-now-tinged-with-orange-please-live-talk/) [Koushun Takami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koushun-takami/) > [When I look back at my paintings, they don't give me a sense of where I was when I first met that guy. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/when-i-look-back-at-my-paintings-they-don-t-give-me-a-sense-of-where/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Status and class and social anxiety and perhaps social code are all released when you look at paintings of powerful individuals from the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/status-and-class-and-social-anxiety-and-perhaps-social-code-are-all/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The best way to begin is to say: Balthus is a painter of whom nothing is known. 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Support the need to enter into the sacred space beyond evaluation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-cassou/look-upon-paintings-with-eyes-of-mystery-rather-than-judgement/) [Michele Cassou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-cassou/) > [I wanted to actually make people look at a painting. We don't look at paintings that much. We glance at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-webber/i-wanted-to-actually-make-people-look-at-a-painting-we-don-t-look-at/) [Peter Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-webber/) > [I like all paintings. I always look at the paintings, good or bad, in barbershops, furniture stores, provincial hotels. I'm like a drinker who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/i-like-all-paintings-i-always-look-at-the-paintings-good-or-bad-in/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Look at the paintings of Picasso. He is a great painter, but just a subjective artist. Looking at his paintings, you will start feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/look-at-the-paintings-of-picasso-he-is-a-great-painter-but-just-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More by Sarah Morris > [I think the films and the paintings erase each other. The paintings are extremely slow and constantly going on in the studio - they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/i-think-the-films-and-the-paintings-erase-each-other-the-paintings/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [The meaning of an artwork is changing depending on who's looking at it - depending on what culture, depending on what time, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/the-meaning-of-an-artwork-is-changing-depending-on-who-s-looking-at/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [It's always an interesting thing that happens between an artist and their work. 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What happens if you place yourself at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/with-the-films-it-starts-off-with-certain-coordinates-in-the-world/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [I had a big fight about how to make something come into the real, to make it physical. It sounds really antique, but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/i-had-a-big-fight-about-how-to-make-something-come-into-the-real-to/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [You can't create a work without being aware that it will change dependent upon the context or the society where it is developed or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/you-can-t-create-a-work-without-being-aware-that-it-will-change/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) > [Moving swiftly between different arenas like politics, architecture or commercial design is what I would consider defintive of my generation. I am looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morris/moving-swiftly-between-different-arenas-like-politics-architecture-or/) [Sarah Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) [Explore all 10 Sarah Morris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morris/) ## 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. 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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": "I think that people tend to look at the paintings as being resolved or finite. But, to me, a painting can be an index for all of the paintings I've done and all of the paintings I'm going to do. 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