Art Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Art Quotes

"There is no must in art because art is free."

"There is no must in art because art is free."

Wassily Kandinsky, Russian Artist

71

"My painting is visible images which conceal nothing... they evoke mystery and indeed when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question 'What does that mean'? It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable."

"My painting is visible images which conceal nothing... they evoke mystery and indeed when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question 'What does that mean'? It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable."

Rene Magritte, Belgian Artist

Art, Mystery, Nothing, Painting, Question

46

"The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind."

"The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind."

Philipus Paracelsus, Swiss Scientist

Art, Nature, Healing, Mind

44

"The work of art assumes the existence of the perfect spectator, and is indifferent to the fact that no such person exists."

"The work of art assumes the existence of the perfect spectator, and is indifferent to the fact that no such person exists."

E. M. Forster, English Novelist

Art, Work, Existence, Fact

43

"The real art of conducting consists in transitions."

"The real art of conducting consists in transitions."

Gustav Mahler, Austrian Composer

42

"Art hath an enemy called Ignorance."

"Art hath an enemy called Ignorance."

Ben Jonson, English Poet

Art, Enemy, Ignorance

42

"I discovered the 7th art at home when I was kid, through Charlie Chaplin's movies and those of my father who shot documentaries. He was my biggest influence. So I took his camera and started shooting."

"I discovered the 7th art at home when I was kid, through Charlie Chaplin's movies and those of my father who shot documentaries. He was my biggest influence. So I took his camera and started shooting."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Art, Home, Movies, Father

41

"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing."

"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Art, Dancing, Living, Wrestling

39

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them."

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them."

Elliott Erwitt, French Photographer

Art, Observation, Photography

39

"When thou art at Rome, do as they do at Rome."

"When thou art at Rome, do as they do at Rome."

Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish Novelist

38

"Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn."

"Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn."

Norman McLaren, Scottish Artist

38

"Yoga is an art and science of living."

"Yoga is an art and science of living."

Indra Devi, Latvian Celebrity

Art, Science, Living, Yoga

37

"There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within."

"There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within."

Morihei Ueshiba, Japanese Athlete

Art, Peace, Contention, Defeat

35

"The prerequisite of originality is the art of forgetting, at the proper moment, what we know."

"The prerequisite of originality is the art of forgetting, at the proper moment, what we know."

Arthur Koestler, Hungarian Novelist

Art, Originality

35

"I've been fifty thousand times to the Louvre. I have copied everything in drawing, trying to understand."

"I've been fifty thousand times to the Louvre. I have copied everything in drawing, trying to understand."

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

34

"To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession."

"To be a poet is a condition rather than a profession."

Robert Graves, Irish Novelist

Art, Profession

34

"A nation devoid of art and artists cannot have a full existence."

"A nation devoid of art and artists cannot have a full existence."

Kemal Ataturk, Turkish Soldier

Art, Artists, Existence, Nation

34

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

31

"I feel that all good art is powerful and simple."

"I feel that all good art is powerful and simple."

Aulis Sallinen, Finnish Composer

30

"I was in jail four and a half years. When I came out, I continued the same struggle against injustice, but instead of using weapons, I began to use art and cinema."

"I was in jail four and a half years. When I came out, I continued the same struggle against injustice, but instead of using weapons, I began to use art and cinema."

Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iranian Director

Art, Cinema, Injustice, Struggle

30

"If a building becomes architecture, then it is art."

"If a building becomes architecture, then it is art."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Art, Architecture, Building

30

"Models are there to look like mannequins, not like real people. Art and illusion are supposed to be fantasy."

"Models are there to look like mannequins, not like real people. Art and illusion are supposed to be fantasy."

Grace Jones, Jamaican Model

Art, People, Fantasy, Illusion

30

"I'm trying to put more elements of the essay into my writing."

"I'm trying to put more elements of the essay into my writing."

Ryszard Kapuscinski, Polish Journalist

Art, Trying, Writing

29

"The art of communication is the language of leadership."

"The art of communication is the language of leadership."

James Humes, American Lawyer

Art, Leadership, Communication, Language

29

"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes ah, that is where the art resides."

"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes ah, that is where the art resides."

Artur Schnabel, Polish Musician

29

"The work of art is a scream of freedom."

"The work of art is a scream of freedom."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

Art, Work, Freedom

29

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train."

Morihei Ueshiba, Japanese Athlete

Art, Money, Peace, Power

28

"Good humor isn't a trait of character, it is an art which requires practice."

"Good humor isn't a trait of character, it is an art which requires practice."

David Seabury, American Psychologist

Art, Humor, Character, Practice

28

"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."

"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, Swiss Artist

Art, Execution, May, Self, Symbol

27

"Thought is a strenuous art - few practice it, and then only at rare times."

"Thought is a strenuous art - few practice it, and then only at rare times."

David Ben Gurion, Israeli Statesman

Art, Thought, Practice

27

"All the world old is queer save thee and me, and even thou art a little queer."

"All the world old is queer save thee and me, and even thou art a little queer."

Robert Owen, Welsh Writer

Art, Old, World

27

"I like light, color, luminosity. I like things full of color and vibrant."

"I like light, color, luminosity. I like things full of color and vibrant."

Oscar de la Renta, Dominican Republican Designer

Art, Light, Dominicanrepublican

27

"Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed."

"Art is a step from what is obvious and well-known toward what is arcane and concealed."

Khalil Gibran, Lebanese Poet

27

"Politics is the art of postponing decisions until they are no longer relevant."

"Politics is the art of postponing decisions until they are no longer relevant."

Henri Queuille, French Politician

Art, Politics, Decisions

27

"We have created indoor installations inside museums, like the Wrapped Floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 1968, and not monumental at all by any standards."

"We have created indoor installations inside museums, like the Wrapped Floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in 1968, and not monumental at all by any standards."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

Art, Chicago, Museums

27

"Art is always criticized and always an outsider gets the blame."

"Art is always criticized and always an outsider gets the blame."

Ville Valo, Finnish Musician

25

"We have lost the art of sharing and caring."

"We have lost the art of sharing and caring."

Hun Sen, Cambodian Statesman

Art, Caring, Sharing

25

"Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them."

"Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash we have very little reason to be interested in them."

Pauline Kael, American Critic

Art, Movies, Reason

24

"Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art."

"Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art."

William Bernbach, American Businessman

Art, Science, Advertising, Persuasion

24

"The art of the cuisine, when fully mastered, is the one human capability of which only good things can be said."

"The art of the cuisine, when fully mastered, is the one human capability of which only good things can be said."

Friedrich Durrenmatt, Swiss Author

23

"People think that computer science is the art of geniuses but the actual reality is the opposite, just many people doing things that build on eachother, like a wall of mini stones."

"People think that computer science is the art of geniuses but the actual reality is the opposite, just many people doing things that build on eachother, like a wall of mini stones."

Donald Knuth, American Scientist

Art, Science, People, Computer

23

"Now, to describe the process of the Wrapped Reichstag, which went from 1971 to '95, there is an entire book about that, because each one of our projects has its own book. The book is not an art book, meaning it's not written by an art historian."

"Now, to describe the process of the Wrapped Reichstag, which went from 1971 to '95, there is an entire book about that, because each one of our projects has its own book. The book is not an art book, meaning it's not written by an art historian."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

Art, Meaning, Now, Projects

23

"Education is the art of making man ethical."

"Education is the art of making man ethical."

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German Philosopher

Art, Education, Man

22

"All works of art are commissioned in the sense that no artist can create one by a simple act of will but must wait until what he believes to be a good idea for a work comes to him."

"All works of art are commissioned in the sense that no artist can create one by a simple act of will but must wait until what he believes to be a good idea for a work comes to him."

W. H. Auden, English Poet

Art, Work, Idea, Act

21

"The modern artist... is working and expressing an inner world - in other words - expressing the energy, the motion, and other inner forces."

"The modern artist... is working and expressing an inner world - in other words - expressing the energy, the motion, and other inner forces."

Jackson Pollock, American Artist

Art, Energy, Words, World

20

"In the end, my reasons for moving down the timeline and introducing a new cast have more to do with keeping myself entertained, on the assumption that if I get bored, my readers are going to be even more bored."

"In the end, my reasons for moving down the timeline and introducing a new cast have more to do with keeping myself entertained, on the assumption that if I get bored, my readers are going to be even more bored."

Raymond E. Feist, American Author

20

"I think most of the art now is involved with a denial of any kind of absolute morality, or general morality."

"I think most of the art now is involved with a denial of any kind of absolute morality, or general morality."

Donald Judd, American Artist

Art, Morality, Denial, Now

19

"When I travel, I draw and paint sketches which is great fun. And as long as you are fully aware that it has nothing to do with actual art, I think that's all right."

"When I travel, I draw and paint sketches which is great fun. And as long as you are fully aware that it has nothing to do with actual art, I think that's all right."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Art, Travel, Fun, Nothing

19

"Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided."

"Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided."

Paracelsus, Swiss Scientist

Art, Life, Science, Deals

18

"And then, I was thinking of doing a record just like starting with voice, because I did this one song that was just kind of a cappella, and I did it for this art piece I did where people could come and play music to go with a voice."

"And then, I was thinking of doing a record just like starting with voice, because I did this one song that was just kind of a cappella, and I did it for this art piece I did where people could come and play music to go with a voice."

Kim Gordon, American Musician

Art, Music, People, Play

18

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