--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have been interested in the dialogue of…" description: "\"I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I have been influenced a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/stephen-beal-37280_abstraction_i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-o_83799.jpg" --- # I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and… ![“I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I have been influenced a bit by some of the particular qualities of the Bay Area. The weather and the atmosphere here is so exotic, like the fog rolling in and the nuanced…” quote by Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/stephen-beal-37280_abstraction_i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-o_83799.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/stephen-beal-37280_abstraction_i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-o_83799.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/stephen-beal-37280_abstraction_i-have-been-interested-in-the-dialogue-o_83799.jpg) > “I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I have been influenced a bit by some of the particular qualities of the Bay Area. The weather and the atmosphere here is so exotic, like the fog rolling in and the nuanced differences in the quality of light.” [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on how abstract dialogue, modernist grids, and the distinctive Bay Area light and fog shape their artistic perception. **In simple terms:** Artistic perception shaped by environment and modernist influences. Key Takeaway Environment and modernist aesthetics intertwine. Themes Abstraction Modernism Regional Influence Light & Atmosphere Grid Theory Mood Contemplative Inspired Reflective Type Artist Statement Philosophical Insight When to use this quote - Studio practice in foggy climates - Curating exhibitions on modernist grids - Teaching art theory about regional light Key Concepts Visual Perception Art History Environmental Impact Practical Applications - Designing site‑specific installations - Developing curricula on light in painting Questions to Reflect On - How does local climate affect visual creativity? - What role does the grid play in abstract expression? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Abstraction Modernist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction-modernist-1058874/) [Areas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/areas/) [Atmosphere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atmosphere/) [Bay area](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bay-area/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialogue/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Exotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exotic/) [Fog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fog/) [Grid Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grid-think-1058877/) [Grids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grids/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Interested Dialogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-dialogue-1058876/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Modernist Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernist-painting-1058875/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rolling/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) ## Related quotes > [As an actor I'm always interested in dialogue, the way the characters speak to each other. I also enjoy a bit of humor, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-boatman/as-an-actor-i-m-always-interested-in-dialogue-the-way-the-characters/) [Michael Boatman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-boatman/) > [All that stuff about flatness - it's this idea that painting is a specialized discipline and that modernist painting increasingly refers to painting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/all-that-stuff-about-flatness-it-s-this-idea-that-painting-is-a/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [Sometimes I think the Congress feels that if you only decided tomorrow to switch to wind power that in two years we'd be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/sometimes-i-think-the-congress-feels-that-if-you-only-decided/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [... nets, grids, and other types of calculus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/nets-grids-and-other-types-of-calculus/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [With a giant battery, we'd be able to address the problem of intermittency that prevents wind and solar from contributing to the grid in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sadoway/with-a-giant-battery-we-d-be-able-to-address-the-problem-of/) [Donald Sadoway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sadoway/) > [I got an amazing 10-CD set, it's the music that Alan Lomax recorded in Haiti in 1936. And what's incredible is how fantastic the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-got-an-amazing-10-cd-set-it-s-the-music-that-alan-lomax-recorded-in/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Once a quarter, Amy and I go off the grid and totally disconnect. It's totally doable and it will change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/once-a-quarter-amy-and-i-go-off-the-grid-and-totally-disconnect-it-s/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) > [There's one Baldessari work I genuinely love and would like to own, maybe because of my Midwestern roots and love of driving alone. 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/there-s-one-baldessari-work-i-genuinely-love-and-would-like-to-own/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [People have presuppositions... By 'presuppositions' we mean the basic way that an individual looks at life- his worldview. The grid through which he sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-have-presuppositions-by-presuppositions-we-mean-the-basic-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The point is that (little-t) truth is a matter of definition relative to the grid one is using at the moment, and that (capital-T)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaclypse-the-younger/the-point-is-that-little-t-truth-is-a-matter-of-definition-relative/) [Malaclypse the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaclypse-the-younger/) > [The grid is like the lines on a football field. You can play a great game in the grid or a lousy game. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-crouwel/the-grid-is-like-the-lines-on-a-football-field-you-can-play-a-great/) [Wim Crouwel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-crouwel/) > [I've been a writer and a parent since adolescence, it feels like, and I'm still making both gigs up as I go along. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/i-ve-been-a-writer-and-a-parent-since-adolescence-it-feels-like-and-i/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We've always had to worry about the electrical grid and nuclear facilities, and they remain a concern; but cyber-terrorism, you know, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-ve-always-had-to-worry-about-the-electrical-grid-and-nuclear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I live in Mexico in the wintertime, and I live off the grid down there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-live-in-mexico-in-the-wintertime-and-i-live-off-the-grid-down-there/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) ## More by Stephen Beal > [I moved to Chicago and began attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The students and teachers I met in Chicago were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-moved-to-chicago-and-began-attending-the-school-of-the-art/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [Only at the end of the last stroke of paint, you can begin to wonder what needs to be done next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/only-at-the-end-of-the-last-stroke-of-paint-you-can-begin-to-wonder/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I have, and do sometimes, work with other media. But there is something about the physical activity and the directness of painting that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-have-and-do-sometimes-work-with-other-media-but-there-is-something/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I enjoy thinking about how paintings can change depending on where they are - how they look in a gallery or in relation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-enjoy-thinking-about-how-paintings-can-change-depending-on-where/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [My life as a painter influences my teaching and my duties as president of CCA - and I hope some of the experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/my-life-as-a-painter-influences-my-teaching-and-my-duties-as/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [My studio work is a central part of my life and I'd be at loose ends without it. When I'm not in my studio,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/my-studio-work-is-a-central-part-of-my-life-and-i-d-be-at-loose-ends/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [In the late 60's I was enrolled at Occidental College majoring in philosophy and taking several studio art classes, but I dropped out. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/in-the-late-60-s-i-was-enrolled-at-occidental-college-majoring-in/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I'm interested in how paintings can change or transform - sometimes through close examination or viewed from afar; or how they hold the space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-m-interested-in-how-paintings-can-change-or-transform-sometimes/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [I am very invested in the physical activity and the decision-making that is involved with making paintings - nothing else is quite like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/i-am-very-invested-in-the-physical-activity-and-the-decision-making/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [“On Becoming a Poet in the 1950s" There was love and there was trees. Either you could stay inside and probe your emotions or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/on-becoming-a-poet-in-the-1950s-there-was-love-and-there-was-trees/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) > [The paintings are more about physicality and gesture than meditation. I'd compare it to playing scales on the Cello - each sound (pitch and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-beal/the-paintings-are-more-about-physicality-and-gesture-than-meditation/) [Stephen Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) [Explore all 12 Stephen Beal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-beal/) ## More Abstraction quotes > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-premises-from-which-we-begin-are-not-arbitrary-ones-not-dogmas/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Two elements are needed to form a truth - a fact and an abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/two-elements-are-needed-to-form-a-truth-a-fact-and-an-abstraction/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [But we must not underestimate the potency of the mathematical process of abstraction. A surprising variety of things happen to have both magnitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banesh-hoffmann/but-we-must-not-underestimate-the-potency-of-the-mathematical-process/) [Banesh Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banesh-hoffmann/) > [Sometimes I start in a very realistic fashion, and as I go on from one painting to another of the same kind, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/sometimes-i-start-in-a-very-realistic-fashion-and-as-i-go-on-from-one/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I like residing in abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-like-residing-in-abstraction/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact. Doctors treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-goodfield/cancer-begins-and-ends-with-people-in-the-midst-of-scientific/) [June Goodfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-goodfield/) > [Yes, there was an element of abstraction and unreality in misfortune. But when an abstraction starts to kill you, you have to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/yes-there-was-an-element-of-abstraction-and-unreality-in-misfortune/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Don't get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It's an abstraction. Not unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-get-stuck-on-the-level-of-words-a-word-is-no-more-than-a-means/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Holidays are in no sense an alternative to the congestion and bustle of the cities and work. Quite the contrary. People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ I'd say that \[Louis\] Brandeis practiced a kind of a "living originalism," to use the title of Jack Balkin's great book. He said you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/i-d-say-that-louis-brandeis-practiced-a-kind-of-a-living-originalism/) [Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/) > [When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-novels-deal-in-abstractions-they-generally-go-off-the-rails/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) [Browse all 562 Abstraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have been interested in the dialogue of abstraction and modernist painting - and the rich history of the grid. I also think I have been influenced a bit by some of the particular qualities of the Bay Area. 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