Quotes by Artist | Beyond Motive 2/55

top of page

Quotes by Artist

"Aloneness is nearer God, nearer reality."

"Aloneness is nearer God, nearer reality."

Gwen John, Welsh Artist

28

"The time when I had desire to go to the United States I didn't have a penny. It was in the middle of the depression, you know. I couldn't get as far as Hoboken at that time."

"The time when I had desire to go to the United States I didn't have a penny. It was in the middle of the depression, you know. I couldn't get as far as Hoboken at that time."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

Time, Depression, Desire, States

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

"To keep that absolute freedom we cannot be obliged to anyone."

"To keep that absolute freedom we cannot be obliged to anyone."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

27

"Right at the beginning, I didn't know if Miffy was a boy or girl."

"Right at the beginning, I didn't know if Miffy was a boy or girl."

Dick Bruna, Dutch Artist

Beginning, Right

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

"From such a gentle thing, from such a fountain of all delight, my every pain is born."

"From such a gentle thing, from such a fountain of all delight, my every pain is born."

Michelangelo, Italian Artist

26

"In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing."

"In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing."

Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch Artist

Action, Discouragement, Will

26

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."

Frida Kahlo, Mexican Artist

26

"We adore chaos because we love to produce order."

"We adore chaos because we love to produce order."

M. C. Escher, Dutch Artist

Love, Chaos, Order

26

"I felt very strongly the whole social impact of that depression, you know, and I felt very strongly about the efforts that this Resettlement Administration was trying to accomplish; resettling people, helping them, and so on."

"I felt very strongly the whole social impact of that depression, you know, and I felt very strongly about the efforts that this Resettlement Administration was trying to accomplish; resettling people, helping them, and so on."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

People, Depression, Trying

26

"We tell them that we believe it will be beautiful because that is our specialty, we only create joy and beauty. We have never done a sad work. Through the drawings, we hope a majority will be able to visualize it."

"We tell them that we believe it will be beautiful because that is our specialty, we only create joy and beauty. We have never done a sad work. Through the drawings, we hope a majority will be able to visualize it."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

Beauty, Work, Hope, Joy

26

"It's pretty hard to measure influence of written or visual material."

"It's pretty hard to measure influence of written or visual material."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

Influence, Measure, Pretty

26

"Germany is an economic giant but a political midget, and with the end of the Cold War she has started to muscle her presence throughout Europe and the world."

"Germany is an economic giant but a political midget, and with the end of the Cold War she has started to muscle her presence throughout Europe and the world."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

War, End, Europe, Germany

26

"Because we do not sell photographs, we have no royalties on books, posters, postcards."

"Because we do not sell photographs, we have no royalties on books, posters, postcards."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

26

"Today we are searching for things in nature that are hidden behind the veil of appearance... We look for and paint this inner, spiritual side of nature."

"Today we are searching for things in nature that are hidden behind the veil of appearance... We look for and paint this inner, spiritual side of nature."

Franz Marc, German Artist

Nature, Appearance, Spiritual, Today

26

"It is not only one person's work, it's really a partnership and collaboration during all these years."

"It is not only one person's work, it's really a partnership and collaboration during all these years."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

Work, Collaboration, Partnership, Years

26

"One must work and dare if one really wants to live."

"One must work and dare if one really wants to live."

Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch Artist

25

"You can not do what you want to do unless you know the correct technique. The only other way you can learn how to do it is by doing it yourself, which would take twice as long than if you went to school."

"You can not do what you want to do unless you know the correct technique. The only other way you can learn how to do it is by doing it yourself, which would take twice as long than if you went to school."

Boris Vallejo, Peruvian Artist

25

"Our work is a scream of freedom."

"Our work is a scream of freedom."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

25

"I don't think about art when I'm working. I try to think about life."

"I don't think about art when I'm working. I try to think about life."

Jean-Michel Basquiat, American Artist

25

"When a man returned from the field and we'd look at the work, we'd criticize each other very genuinely and never offensively. And we would avoid all tricks, angle shots were just horrible to us."

"When a man returned from the field and we'd look at the work, we'd criticize each other very genuinely and never offensively. And we would avoid all tricks, angle shots were just horrible to us."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

25

"There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors... it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job."

"There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors... it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job."

Conrad Hall, American Artist

Colors, Infinite, Job, Language

25

"Any ground subtracts its own hue from the colors which it carries and therefore influences."

"Any ground subtracts its own hue from the colors which it carries and therefore influences."

Josef Albers, German Artist

25

"You can't do a machine without knowing something about how it's going to work. As for the romantics, the costumes bored me and I don't enjoy doing period clothes."

"You can't do a machine without knowing something about how it's going to work. As for the romantics, the costumes bored me and I don't enjoy doing period clothes."

Boris Vallejo, Peruvian Artist

Work, Clothes, Machine

25

"Between my head and my hand, there is always the face of death."

"Between my head and my hand, there is always the face of death."

Francis Picabia, French Artist

24

"I confess that Roy was a little bit dictatorial in his editing and he ruined quite a number of my pictures, which he stopped doing later. He used to punch a hole through a negative. Some of them were incredibly valuable. He didn't understand at the time."

"I confess that Roy was a little bit dictatorial in his editing and he ruined quite a number of my pictures, which he stopped doing later. He used to punch a hole through a negative. Some of them were incredibly valuable. He didn't understand at the time."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

24

"I didn't care where my works were published."

"I didn't care where my works were published."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

24

"Think of me as the weathered sheriff coming back into Dodge 'cause the youngsters are shooting up the church and scaring the horses and not doing right by the women."

"Think of me as the weathered sheriff coming back into Dodge 'cause the youngsters are shooting up the church and scaring the horses and not doing right by the women."

Frank Miller, American Artist

Woman, Women, Church, Horses, Right

24

"We must not discriminate between things. Where things are concerned there are no class distinctions. We must pick out what is good for us where we can find it."

"We must not discriminate between things. Where things are concerned there are no class distinctions. We must pick out what is good for us where we can find it."

Pablo Picasso, Spanish Artist

23

"I feel, having the choices I had, I felt I had more control over my own medium than I did over photography."

"I feel, having the choices I had, I felt I had more control over my own medium than I did over photography."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

Control, Choices, Photography

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

"But the moment you use an ordinary camera, you are not seeing the picture, remember, meaning, you had to remember what you've taken. Now you could see it of course, with a digital thing, but remember in 1982 you couldn't."

"But the moment you use an ordinary camera, you are not seeing the picture, remember, meaning, you had to remember what you've taken. Now you could see it of course, with a digital thing, but remember in 1982 you couldn't."

David Hockney, English Artist

23

"One's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes."

"One's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes."

Andrew Wyeth, American Artist

Love, Art, Deep

23

"And then I think they asked me to work on Wish You Were Here, which was the next album coming up. And I didn't do anything for a long time. I had other projects, and I didn't get around to doing anything for a bit."

"And then I think they asked me to work on Wish You Were Here, which was the next album coming up. And I didn't do anything for a long time. I had other projects, and I didn't get around to doing anything for a bit."

Gerald Scarfe, British Artist

Work, Time, Projects

22

"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."

"Beyond a doubt truth bears the same relation to falsehood as light to darkness."

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Artist

Truth, Darkness, Doubt, Falsehood

22

"I will make up for it now, I have not a moment to lose."

"I will make up for it now, I have not a moment to lose."

Evelyn de Morgan, English Artist

22

"The chief enemy of creativity is "good" sense."

"The chief enemy of creativity is "good" sense."

Pablo Picasso, Spanish Artist

Creativity, Enemy, Sense

21

"I guess I had fun doing it but it has hard memories for me."

"I guess I had fun doing it but it has hard memories for me."

Faith Ringgold, American Artist

21

"If some of our works are symphonies, then wrapped walkways was chamber music."

"If some of our works are symphonies, then wrapped walkways was chamber music."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

21

"I feel the need of attaining the maximum of intensity with the minimum of means. It is this which has led me to give my painting a character of even greater bareness."

"I feel the need of attaining the maximum of intensity with the minimum of means. It is this which has led me to give my painting a character of even greater bareness."

Joan Miro, Spanish Artist

Character, Painting

21

"Let my enemies devour each other."

"Let my enemies devour each other."

Salvador Dali, Spanish Artist

21

"He has found his style, when he cannot do otherwise."

"He has found his style, when he cannot do otherwise."

Paul Klee, Swiss Artist

20

"That could stay, not forever, because we believe that nothing exists that is forever, not even the dinosaurs, but if well maintained, it could remain for four to five thousand years. And that is definitely not forever."

"That could stay, not forever, because we believe that nothing exists that is forever, not even the dinosaurs, but if well maintained, it could remain for four to five thousand years. And that is definitely not forever."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

20

"I just don't want anyone messing around with my pure smoking pleasure."

"I just don't want anyone messing around with my pure smoking pleasure."

Max Cannon, American Artist

Pleasure, Smoking, Want

20

"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

"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

"I was primarily interested in people, and people in action, so that I did nothing photographically in the sense of doing buildings for their own sake or a still life or anything like that."

"I was primarily interested in people, and people in action, so that I did nothing photographically in the sense of doing buildings for their own sake or a still life or anything like that."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

Life, People, Action, Nothing

19

"Of course I realize that photography is not the technical facility as much as it is the eye, and this decision that one makes for the moment at which you are going to snap, you know."

"Of course I realize that photography is not the technical facility as much as it is the eye, and this decision that one makes for the moment at which you are going to snap, you know."

Ben Shahn, Lithuanian Artist

Decision-Making, Decision, Eye, Photography

19

"Therefore, when we arrive in a place and talk to new people about a new image, it is very hard for them to visualize it. That's where the drawings are very important, because at least we can show a projection of what we believe it will look like."

"Therefore, when we arrive in a place and talk to new people about a new image, it is very hard for them to visualize it. That's where the drawings are very important, because at least we can show a projection of what we believe it will look like."

Christo, Bulgarian Artist

People, Talk, Will

19

bottom of page