Quick Quotes: Robert Irwin

“Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees”

Robert Irwin

I recently saw this great quote by Robert Irwin and realized that it has been quite some time since I’ve written something for my “Quick Quote” series.

In this quote, Irwin says a lot using very few words. When you name an object it becomes that and nothing else. When you allow yourself to forget the name, then it becomes more and can even become something else entirely. It becomes a panoply of shape, lines, and color and only then can you begin to understand how else it can be depicted.

I find that the quote has a similar meaning to the famous quote by Minor White, "One should not only photograph things for what they are, but for what else they are."

I hope this quote resonates with you as much as it did for me.

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