"In the final analysis, a drawing simply is no longer a drawing, no matter how self-sufficient its execution may be. It is a symbol, and the more profoundly the imaginary lines of projection meet higher dimensions, the better"

Paul Klee’s assertion reflects a nuanced understanding of the creative process and the nature of artistic representation. What is being expressed is the notion that an artwork, specifically a drawing, transcends its immediate, physical form, the lines, strokes, and surface details that make it up. Despite the technical mastery an artist might achieve, and regardless of how ostensibly "complete" a drawing may appear, its essence cannot be confined to the visible execution alone. It becomes something greater: a symbol.

A drawing’s lines are not just marks on paper; they serve as conduits to abstract realms, invitations to forms and ideas that go beyond tangible reality. Klee suggests that these "imaginary lines of projection", the invisible threads extending from the artwork, draw the viewer into "higher dimensions", which can be understood as deeper layers of meaning, emotion, spirituality, or even philosophical insight. Just as geometry uses projection to move from two-dimensional figures to three-dimensional space, so too does art use symbolic projection to connect mundane reality with higher cognitive or imaginative experiences.

The value of an artwork lies not in its precise mimetic representation or technical perfection, but in its capacity to evoke, translate, and transmit these complex, often ineffable dimensions. The drawing, thus, becomes a portal. The richer its capacity for symbolization, for evoking ideas outside itself, for referencing the unseeable, the more powerful and profound the work becomes. Klee’s perspective encourages viewers and artists alike to look beyond the surface, to see not only what is physically present in a drawing, but also what is suggested, alluded to, resonated: the invisible made perceptible. In doing so, the drawing achieves its highest potential, it is not just an image, but a meeting place between material execution and the infinite worlds of thought and imagination.