"The artist, like the God of the creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails"

In this quote, James Joyce compares the artist to God, suggesting that they both have a comparable function in creation. Just as God is hidden and separated from his production, the artist also remains covert and detached from their own work. They are fine-tuned and nearly non-existent, as if their art is a product of their subconscious instead of a conscious effort. The artist is represented as indifferent, almost unenthusiastic in their own production, as if it is just a mundane job like paring their fingernails. This quote highlights the mysterious and intangible nature of art and the artist's function in its production.