“When you make a thing, it is so complicated making it that it is bound to be ugly.”
This powerful statement captures a deep truth about creation. It speaks to the struggle, the complexity, and the raw nature of innovation. When creators push boundaries, the result is rarely polished or immediately understood. Instead, it often appears challenging, unconventional, or even jarring. The quote suggests that this initial “ugliness” is not a sign of failure. On the contrary, it is an inevitable byproduct of bringing something truly new into the world.
The sentiment resonates far beyond a single artist’s studio. It applies to writers, designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Anyone who builds something from scratch understands this process. The first draft is messy. The prototype is clunky. Therefore, the initial version is a testament to the difficult journey of creation, not the final destination.
The Origin of a Revolutionary Idea
So, where did this profound observation come from? The quote’s most credible origin traces back to Gertrude Stein’s 1933 memoir, “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas.” Stein, a central figure in the Parisian avant-garde, wrote the book from the perspective of her life partner, Toklas. This unconventional narrative style mirrored the experimental art she championed.
Within the book, Stein recounts a specific conversation. She and Toklas had just attended a vernissage, an exclusive preview of an art exhibition. Toklas shared her dislike for two new paintings by their friend, Pablo Picasso. In response, Stein attributes the now-famous quote directly to Picasso himself. She suggests the master artist used these words to explain the challenging appearance of his own innovative work. This context is crucial. It frames the quote not as an abstract theory but as a practical defense of artistic exploration. Source
. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas Papers
From Private Conversation to Public Philosophy
The quote did not remain a private anecdote for long. Its intellectual weight was quickly recognized. Prominent literary critic Edmund Wilson featured it in his review of Stein’s memoir for The New Republic in October 1933. Wilson understood the importance of this statement. He saw it as a key insight into the modernist movement that was reshaping art and literature.
His review highlighted the instructional value of Stein’s book. Wilson praised its documentation of the pre-war years when artists like Picasso and Henri Matisse were just beginning their revolutionary work. Furthermore, he noted how the quote perfectly encapsulated the spirit of these pioneers. Their work was complicated to make and, as a result, often difficult for contemporary audiences to accept. Source
Echoes in the Art World
The idea that profound originality first appears ugly was not exclusive to Picasso or Stein. Decades later, another influential voice echoed the same sentiment. In a 1945 essay for The Nation, esteemed art critic Clement Greenberg championed the work of Jackson Pollock. He boldly declared Pollock “the strongest painter of his generation.”
In his analysis, Greenberg articulated a strikingly similar philosophy. He wrote, “all profoundly original art looks ugly at first.” This independent observation from a leading critic reinforced the concept’s validity. Greenberg saw in Pollock’s work a willingness to embrace aesthetic risks for the sake of authentic expression. Consequently, this parallel thinking shows that the principle was a recurring theme in discussions of avant-garde art. Initial critical reception for such groundbreaking art is often poor. For instance, some analyses show that a majority of early reviews for what became canonical works were negative.
. Clement Greenberg Papers, 1928-1994
An Enduring Legacy in Creativity and Design
The quote’s influence continued to grow over the decades. It transcended art history and found a home in other creative fields. For example, designer and educator Victor Papanek used a version of it as an epigraph in his landmark 1971 book, “Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change.” Papanek’s inclusion demonstrated the quote’s universal applicability to all forms of making.
Scholars also worked to cement its attribution. Dore Ashton included the original passage from Stein’s memoir in her 1972 publication, “Picasso On Art: A Selection of Views.” More recently, the statement earned a place in the nineteenth edition of “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations” in 2022, solidifying its status as a canonical observation on the creative process. Source. Victor Papanek – Design for the Real World
Today, this idea remains incredibly relevant. It reminds us that innovation is often messy and uncomfortable. The first version of a disruptive technology or a groundbreaking piece of music may not be immediately beautiful. However, its value lies in its complexity and its courage to be different. It is a necessary step on the path from a complicated, ugly beginning to a refined, beautiful conclusion.