Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it 'creative observation'. Creative viewing.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Existence depends on observation; art creates reality by making people notice it.
- In plain terms
- Things exist when people observe them.
- What can you take from it?
- Observation is a creative act that shapes reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does a tree fall in the forest if no one hears it?
- How do you bring things into being?
Another view
It ignores objective reality independent of human perception.
More from William S. Burroughs
No one owns life, but anyone who can pick up a frying pan owns death.
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