Quotes by Artist | Beyond Motive 23/59

top of page

Quotes by Artist

"I think that words are often extraneous to what I do."

"I think that words are often extraneous to what I do."

Howard Hodgkin, British Artist

38

"Just going along with this, what I did, or what I do is I imagine not being myself seeing it, but imagine somebody else who's seeing it for the first time."

"Just going along with this, what I did, or what I do is I imagine not being myself seeing it, but imagine somebody else who's seeing it for the first time."

Dennis Muren, American Artist

Time, Being, First

38

"Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul."

"Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul."

Henri Matisse, French Artist

38

"Although the dream is a very strange phenomenon and an inexplicable mystery, far more inexplicable is the mystery and aspect our minds confer on certain objects and aspects of life."

"Although the dream is a very strange phenomenon and an inexplicable mystery, far more inexplicable is the mystery and aspect our minds confer on certain objects and aspects of life."

Giorgio de Chirico, Greek Artist

Life, Dream, Inexplicable, Mystery

38

"Every man is an artist."

"Every man is an artist."

Joseph Beuys, German Artist

Creativity, Man

38

"I've always felt that if one was going to take seriously this vocation as an artist, you have to get beyond that decorative facade."

"I've always felt that if one was going to take seriously this vocation as an artist, you have to get beyond that decorative facade."

Anish Kapoor, Indian Artist

38

"There are only two types of women - goddesses and doormats."

"There are only two types of women - goddesses and doormats."

Pablo Picasso, Spanish Artist

38

"The artist is not responsible to any one. His social role is asocial... his only responsibility consists in an attitude to the work he does."

"The artist is not responsible to any one. His social role is asocial... his only responsibility consists in an attitude to the work he does."

Georg Baselitz, German Artist

Attitude, Work, Responsibility

38

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

David Hockney, English Artist

38

"I'm interested in what would normally be considered the worst aspects of commercial art. I think it's the tension between what seems to be so rigid and cliched and the fact that art really can't be this way."

"I'm interested in what would normally be considered the worst aspects of commercial art. I think it's the tension between what seems to be so rigid and cliched and the fact that art really can't be this way."

Roy Lichtenstein, American Artist

Art, Fact, Tension

38

"We live in a society that blames everybody else for what's wrong."

"We live in a society that blames everybody else for what's wrong."

Max Cannon, American Artist

38

"A collection makes its own demands. Many artists have been collectors. I think of it rather as an illness. I felt it was using up too much energy."

"A collection makes its own demands. Many artists have been collectors. I think of it rather as an illness. I felt it was using up too much energy."

Howard Hodgkin, British Artist

Art, Artists, Energy, Illness

38

"I am not a performer but occasionally I deliberately work in a public context. Some sculptures need the movement of people around them to work."

"I am not a performer but occasionally I deliberately work in a public context. Some sculptures need the movement of people around them to work."

Andy Goldsworthy, British Artist

Work, People, Public

38

"I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

"I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."

Michelangelo, Italian Artist

Hope, Desire, May

38

"I discovered about 150 dots is the minimum number of dots to make a specific recognizable person. You can make something that looks like a head, with fewer dots, but you won't be able to give much information about who it is."

"I discovered about 150 dots is the minimum number of dots to make a specific recognizable person. You can make something that looks like a head, with fewer dots, but you won't be able to give much information about who it is."

Chuck Close, American Artist

38

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back."

Henri Matisse, French Artist

Freedom, Flies, Nothing

38

"If you clean it up, get analytical, all the subtle joy and emotion you felt in the first place goes flying out the window."

"If you clean it up, get analytical, all the subtle joy and emotion you felt in the first place goes flying out the window."

Andrew Wyeth, American Artist

Emotional, Emotion, First, Flying, Joy

38

"I paint people not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be."

"I paint people not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be."

Lucian Freud, British Artist

38

"I think Shakespeare is really the one. Words as music and music as words. Everything he wrote was good, which is really frightening."

"I think Shakespeare is really the one. Words as music and music as words. Everything he wrote was good, which is really frightening."

Don Van Vliet, American Artist

Music, Shakespeare, Words

38

"Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Just start thinking peace, and the message will spread quicker than you think."

"Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Just start thinking peace, and the message will spread quicker than you think."

Yoko Ono, American Artist

Change, Power, Peace, Thinking

38

"I will throw all my best efforts into it, my thoughts and political observations, but ultimately I want to create a narrative that keeps you turning the pages and leaves you with a sense that this thing has a reason for being there."

"I will throw all my best efforts into it, my thoughts and political observations, but ultimately I want to create a narrative that keeps you turning the pages and leaves you with a sense that this thing has a reason for being there."

Frank Miller, American Artist

Thought, Thoughts, Being, Reason, Sense

38

"For me an object is something living. This cigarette or this box of matches contains a secret life much more intense than that of certain human beings."

"For me an object is something living. This cigarette or this box of matches contains a secret life much more intense than that of certain human beings."

Joan Miro, Spanish Artist

38

"Cultural confinement takes place when a curator imposes his own limits on an art exhibition, rather than asking an artist to set his limits."

"Cultural confinement takes place when a curator imposes his own limits on an art exhibition, rather than asking an artist to set his limits."

Robert Smithson, American Artist

38

"I did not know it then, but Frida had already become the most important fact in my life. And would continue to be, up to the moment she died, 27 years later."

"I did not know it then, but Frida had already become the most important fact in my life. And would continue to be, up to the moment she died, 27 years later."

Diego Rivera, Mexican Artist

Life, Fact, Years

38

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Andy Warhol, American Artist

38

"Everything I do is the environment."

"Everything I do is the environment."

Arthur Boyd, Australian Artist

38

"It's business, selling comics, you work out what sells and you don't want to muck about with it too much."

"It's business, selling comics, you work out what sells and you don't want to muck about with it too much."

Eddie Campbell, Scottish Artist

Work, Business, Selling, Want

38

"In reality, everyone is good in bed. Close eyes. Shutdown brain. Pause as necessary. Restart brain. Open eyes. What's there to not be good at? Bed is the one place where laziness is rewarded."

"In reality, everyone is good in bed. Close eyes. Shutdown brain. Pause as necessary. Restart brain. Open eyes. What's there to not be good at? Bed is the one place where laziness is rewarded."

John Dobbin, American Artist

Bed, Eyes, Laziness, Open

38

"Here is a fear for me, I never wanted to be one of those guys that was defined by a body of work 20 years old."

"Here is a fear for me, I never wanted to be one of those guys that was defined by a body of work 20 years old."

Todd McFarlane, Canadian Artist

Work, Fear, Body, Old

38

"But you know you haven't done it all because you know everything keeps evolving and changing; and you know you can evolve with it if you grow and develop as a human being."

"But you know you haven't done it all because you know everything keeps evolving and changing; and you know you can evolve with it if you grow and develop as a human being."

Conrad Hall, American Artist

38

"The only people left in America who seem not to be artists are illustrators."

"The only people left in America who seem not to be artists are illustrators."

Brad Holland, American Artist

People, America, Artists

38

"I used to think that everything was just being funny but now I don't know. I mean, how can you tell?"

"I used to think that everything was just being funny but now I don't know. I mean, how can you tell?"

Andy Warhol, American Artist

Fun, Funny, Being, Now

38

"The American people have no control over what the military does. We have no say in American foreign policy."

"The American people have no control over what the military does. We have no say in American foreign policy."

Aaron McGruder, American Artist

People, Policy, Control

38

"I live in a Mobile Home - I've never had a house, except once; I rented a log cabin."

"I live in a Mobile Home - I've never had a house, except once; I rented a log cabin."

Don Van Vliet, American Artist

38

"My life is full of mistakes. They're like pebbles that make a good road."

"My life is full of mistakes. They're like pebbles that make a good road."

Beatrice Wood, American Artist

Life, Mistakes, Road

38

"To die is as if one's eyes had been put out and one cannot see anything any more. Perhaps it is like being shut in a cellar. One is abandoned by all. They have slammed the door and are gone. One does not see anything and notices only the damp smell of putrefaction."

"To die is as if one's eyes had been put out and one cannot see anything any more. Perhaps it is like being shut in a cellar. One is abandoned by all. They have slammed the door and are gone. One does not see anything and notices only the damp smell of putrefaction."

Edvard Munch, Norwegian Artist

38

"Now that I know what I want, I don't have to hold on to it quite so much."

"Now that I know what I want, I don't have to hold on to it quite so much."

Lucian Freud, British Artist

38

"In general it can be said that a nation's art is greatest when it most reflects the character of its people."

"In general it can be said that a nation's art is greatest when it most reflects the character of its people."

Edward Hopper, American Artist

Art, People, Character, Nation

38

"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?"

"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?"

Andy Warhol, American Artist

38

"I want paint to work as flesh."

"I want paint to work as flesh."

Lucian Freud, British Artist

38

"During the 1960s, I think, people forgot what emotions were supposed to be. And I don't think they've ever remembered."

"During the 1960s, I think, people forgot what emotions were supposed to be. And I don't think they've ever remembered."

Andy Warhol, American Artist

People, Emotions

38

"Well, I've always been interested in approaching a big city in a train, and I can't exactly describe the sensations, but they're entirely human and perhaps have nothing to do with aesthetics."

"Well, I've always been interested in approaching a big city in a train, and I can't exactly describe the sensations, but they're entirely human and perhaps have nothing to do with aesthetics."

Edward Hopper, American Artist

Aesthetics, Nothing, Sensations

38

"I will either be famous or infamous."

"I will either be famous or infamous."

Otto Dix, German Artist

38

"Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge."

"Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge."

Paul Gauguin, French Artist

Dream, Dreams, Life, Being, Revenge

38

"If isolation tempers the strong, it is the stumbling-block of the uncertain."

"If isolation tempers the strong, it is the stumbling-block of the uncertain."

Paul Cezanne, French Artist

38

"That kind of piece, perhaps most recognizable because of Yoko Ono's similar work, built a bridge between performance art and music - and without raising any awkward social issues."

"That kind of piece, perhaps most recognizable because of Yoko Ono's similar work, built a bridge between performance art and music - and without raising any awkward social issues."

Tony Conrad, American Artist

Art, Music, Work, Performance

38

"The first job I was offered was as an editorial assistant. I think it was the best thing for me, in terms of being a storyteller by nature, to have spent years being an editor because I learned so much from it."

"The first job I was offered was as an editorial assistant. I think it was the best thing for me, in terms of being a storyteller by nature, to have spent years being an editor because I learned so much from it."

Terri Windling, American Artist

Nature, Being, First, Job

38

"Make your work to be in keeping with your purpose."

"Make your work to be in keeping with your purpose."

Leonardo da Vinci, Italian Artist

Self, Work, Purpose, Focus, Action

38

"One of the great currents in the contemporary experience of art is that it seems to come out of the experience of the author."

"One of the great currents in the contemporary experience of art is that it seems to come out of the experience of the author."

Anish Kapoor, Indian Artist

Art, Experience

38

"I've got over so much. Mum wouldn't want anything to come into my life that would make me fragile again."

"I've got over so much. Mum wouldn't want anything to come into my life that would make me fragile again."

Tracey Emin, English Artist

38

bottom of page