"Abstraction is everybody's zero but nobody's nought"

This quote by Robert Smithson is a commentary on the concept of abstraction. Abstraction is a concept that is frequently tough to specify and understand, and Smithson is recommending that it is something that is generally approved, yet not necessarily recognized. He is saying that abstraction is a principle that is accepted by every person, yet no one can genuinely clarify it. This is due to the fact that abstraction is a principle that is open to interpretation and can mean various points to different people. Smithson is suggesting that abstraction is something that is accepted by everyone, but no one can really explain it. He is stating that abstraction is a concept that is open to analysis and also can imply different points to different individuals. This quote is a suggestion that abstraction is something that is global, however it is additionally something that is open to analysis as well as can be seen in different ways by various individuals.