Quotes by Sculptor | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Sculptor

"They are imbeciles who call my work abstract. That which they call abstract is the most realistic, because what is real is not the exterior but the idea, the essence of things."

"They are imbeciles who call my work abstract. That which they call abstract is the most realistic, because what is real is not the exterior but the idea, the essence of things."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

88

"You find me at work; excuse the dust on my blouse. I sculpt my marble myself."

"You find me at work; excuse the dust on my blouse. I sculpt my marble myself."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

86

"The thing about coming back to the Bay Area, it's like coming home for me."

"The thing about coming back to the Bay Area, it's like coming home for me."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

77

"In the past I have never thought about loneliness when working, and I don't think about it now. Yet there must be a reason for the fact that so many people talk about it."

"In the past I have never thought about loneliness when working, and I don't think about it now. Yet there must be a reason for the fact that so many people talk about it."

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

Thought, People, Fact, Loneliness

73

"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

66

"The hand has the richest articulation of space."

"The hand has the richest articulation of space."

Eduardo Chillida, Spanish Sculptor

64

"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."

"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

Architecture, Sculpture

63

"All I can do will only ever be a faint image of what I see and my success will always be less than my failure or perhaps equal to the failure."

"All I can do will only ever be a faint image of what I see and my success will always be less than my failure or perhaps equal to the failure."

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

Success, Failure, Will

57

"Without philosophy man cannot know what he makes; without religion he cannot know why."

"Without philosophy man cannot know what he makes; without religion he cannot know why."

Eric Gill, English Sculptor

Religion, Man, Philosophy

48

"Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them."

"Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

38

"Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one's self by entering into the real sense of things."

"Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one's self by entering into the real sense of things."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

Art, Self, Sense, Simplicity

36

"I think you always have to find where the boundary is in relation to the context in order to be able to kind of articulate how you want the space to interact with the viewer."

"I think you always have to find where the boundary is in relation to the context in order to be able to kind of articulate how you want the space to interact with the viewer."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

Art, Order, Space, Want

34

"You know what black hatred women feel toward me as soon as they see me, until I return inside my shell, they use every possible weapon. As soon as a generous man tries to help me out, a woman is here to hold his arm and prevent him from acting."

"You know what black hatred women feel toward me as soon as they see me, until I return inside my shell, they use every possible weapon. As soon as a generous man tries to help me out, a woman is here to hold his arm and prevent him from acting."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Woman, Women, Acting, Hatred, Help

34

"I would prefer to have a more appealing job. If I could still change careers, I would prefer it. This unfortunate art is made for long beards and ugly faces rather than for a relatively well-endowed woman."

"I would prefer to have a more appealing job. If I could still change careers, I would prefer it. This unfortunate art is made for long beards and ugly faces rather than for a relatively well-endowed woman."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Art, Change, Careers, Faces

32

"There hasn't been any art yet. Art is just beginning."

"There hasn't been any art yet. Art is just beginning."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

32

"Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave."

"Create like a god, command like a king, work like a slave."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

30

"So, in other words, how you respond to a sculpture, how a viewer sees the sculpture, is vital."

"So, in other words, how you respond to a sculpture, how a viewer sees the sculpture, is vital."

Anthony Caro, English Sculptor

Response, Sculpture, Words

30

"Science is analytical, descriptive, informative. Man does not live by bread alone, but by science he attempts to do so. Hence the deadliness of all that is purely scientific."

"Science is analytical, descriptive, informative. Man does not live by bread alone, but by science he attempts to do so. Hence the deadliness of all that is purely scientific."

Eric Gill, English Sculptor

28

"When you see a fish you don't think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, flashing body seen through the water... If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirit."

"When you see a fish you don't think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, flashing body seen through the water... If I made fins and eyes and scales, I would arrest its movement, give a pattern or shape of reality. I want just the flash of its spirit."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

Body, Eyes, Fish, Reality

26

"I have all sorts of problems and feel discouraged."

"I have all sorts of problems and feel discouraged."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

26

"I paint and sculpt to get a grip on reality... to protect myself."

"I paint and sculpt to get a grip on reality... to protect myself."

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

25

"I took all my wax studies and threw them in the fire... that's the way it is when something unpleasant happens to me. I take my hammer and I squash a figure."

"I took all my wax studies and threw them in the fire... that's the way it is when something unpleasant happens to me. I take my hammer and I squash a figure."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

25

"Theories are patterns without value. What counts is action."

"Theories are patterns without value. What counts is action."

Constantin Brancusi, Romanian Sculptor

Action, Theories, Value

24

"A woman may not hit a ball stronger than a man, but it is different. I prize that difference."

"A woman may not hit a ball stronger than a man, but it is different. I prize that difference."

Louise Berliawsky Nevelson, American Sculptor

Difference, Man, May, Woman

23

"I think of moving as a kind of saving grace."

"I think of moving as a kind of saving grace."

Martin Puryear, American Sculptor

Lifestyle, Grace

23

"Basically, what you really want to do is try to engage the viewer's body relation to his thinking and walking and looking, without being overly heavy-handed about it."

"Basically, what you really want to do is try to engage the viewer's body relation to his thinking and walking and looking, without being overly heavy-handed about it."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

Being, Body, Thinking, Walking

23

"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation."

"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation."

Jean Arp, German Sculptor

Life, Contemplation, Day, Humanity

23

"I don't want to say anything because I know I am unable to protect you from the harm that I see."

"I don't want to say anything because I know I am unable to protect you from the harm that I see."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

23

"When you left on Saturday, I felt a horrible void, I saw you everywhere, on the beach, in your room, in the garden: impossible for me to get used to the idea that you had left."

"When you left on Saturday, I felt a horrible void, I saw you everywhere, on the beach, in your room, in the garden: impossible for me to get used to the idea that you had left."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Creativity, Idea, Beach

23

"I've tried doing so, for it was never my intention to paint only with gray. But in the course of my work I have eliminated one color after another, and what has remained is gray, gray, gray!"

"I've tried doing so, for it was never my intention to paint only with gray. But in the course of my work I have eliminated one color after another, and what has remained is gray, gray, gray!"

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

Work, Intention

23

"They've also, the government's decided now, what sexual content is."

"They've also, the government's decided now, what sexual content is."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

Government, Content, Now

23

"I have had the problem of seeing my male model go to Italy and... stay there."

"I have had the problem of seeing my male model go to Italy and... stay there."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Modeling, Italy

22

"Don't fear anything for your letters, they are burnt one by one and I hope you do the same with mine."

"Don't fear anything for your letters, they are burnt one by one and I hope you do the same with mine."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Fear, Hope, Letters

22

"On the other hand, if there's an underlying core of poetry that I go to, I go to the sea. I've lived on the sea all my life. I live on the sea in Cape Breton."

"On the other hand, if there's an underlying core of poetry that I go to, I go to the sea. I've lived on the sea all my life. I live on the sea in Cape Breton."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

Poetry, Life, Sea

22

"I thank you for your kind invitation to introduce me to the president of the Republic. Since I have not been out of my atelier for two months, I have no appropriate costume for this circumstance. Please excuse me."

"I thank you for your kind invitation to introduce me to the president of the Republic. Since I have not been out of my atelier for two months, I have no appropriate costume for this circumstance. Please excuse me."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Circumstance, Months, President

22

"I will never forget my beautiful days with you in Shanklin, they are certainly the most pleasant ones of my life. Look, I have tears in my eyes just to think about it. I am furious to be here, it is the end of happiness for a whole year."

"I will never forget my beautiful days with you in Shanklin, they are certainly the most pleasant ones of my life. Look, I have tears in my eyes just to think about it. I am furious to be here, it is the end of happiness for a whole year."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Happiness, Life, End, Eyes

22

"I am scared; I don't know what is going to happen to me. What was the point of working so hard and of being talented, to be rewarded like this? Never a penny, tormented all my life. It is horrible; one cannot imagine it."

"I am scared; I don't know what is going to happen to me. What was the point of working so hard and of being talented, to be rewarded like this? Never a penny, tormented all my life. It is horrible; one cannot imagine it."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

22

"With Andy Cole up front they can score at any time. We'll be watching him very closely."

"With Andy Cole up front they can score at any time. We'll be watching him very closely."

Robert Laurent, American Sculptor

21

"But part of the enjoyment I take in it is finding the most efficient way to do it, which doesn't mean the corrections aren't made. I like to have a feeling of the whole task before I start, even if it changes."

"But part of the enjoyment I take in it is finding the most efficient way to do it, which doesn't mean the corrections aren't made. I like to have a feeling of the whole task before I start, even if it changes."

Bruce Nauman, American Sculptor

Process, Enjoyment, Feeling

21

"What affected me most profoundly was the realization that the sciences of cryptography and mathematics are very elegant, pure sciences. I found that the ends for which these pure sciences are used are less elegant."

"What affected me most profoundly was the realization that the sciences of cryptography and mathematics are very elegant, pure sciences. I found that the ends for which these pure sciences are used are less elegant."

James Sanborn, American Sculptor

Art, Mathematics

21

"All the sculptures of today, like those of the past, will end one day in pieces... So it is important to fashion ones work carefully in its smallest recess and charge every particle of matter with life."

"All the sculptures of today, like those of the past, will end one day in pieces... So it is important to fashion ones work carefully in its smallest recess and charge every particle of matter with life."

Alberto Giacometti, Swiss Sculptor

Life, Work, Day, End

21

"It is in fact agreed that I am the plague, the cholera of the benevolent and generous men who are interested in art and that, when I show myself with my plasters, even the Emperor of the Sahara would flee."

"It is in fact agreed that I am the plague, the cholera of the benevolent and generous men who are interested in art and that, when I show myself with my plasters, even the Emperor of the Sahara would flee."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

21

"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years'."

"I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years'."

Henry Moore, English Sculptor

Resolution, Day, Years

21

"I chose to deal with the science of cryptography. Cryptography began in mathematics. Codes were developed, even from Caesar's time, based on number theory and mathematical principles. I decided to use those principles and designed a work that is encoded."

"I chose to deal with the science of cryptography. Cryptography began in mathematics. Codes were developed, even from Caesar's time, based on number theory and mathematical principles. I decided to use those principles and designed a work that is encoded."

James Sanborn, American Sculptor

Science, Work, Time, Mathematics

20

"The essence of our effort to see that every child has a chance must be to assure each an equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different-to realize whatever unique potential of body, mind and spirit he or she possesses."

"The essence of our effort to see that every child has a chance must be to assure each an equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different-to realize whatever unique potential of body, mind and spirit he or she possesses."

John Fischer, American Sculptor

Opportunity, Body, Chance, Effort

20

"My fan mail is enormous. Everyone is under six."

"My fan mail is enormous. Everyone is under six."

Alexander Calder, American Sculptor

20

"Work out of your work. Don't work out of anybody else's work."

"Work out of your work. Don't work out of anybody else's work."

Richard Serra, American Sculptor

20

"I would have preferred to be successful here with a piece that cost me a huge amount of money and effort... rather than sending to Bohemia some ordinary works."

"I would have preferred to be successful here with a piece that cost me a huge amount of money and effort... rather than sending to Bohemia some ordinary works."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Money, Successful, Effort

20

"I am in no mood to be deceived any longer by the crafty devil and false character whose greatest pleasure is to take advantage of everyone."

"I am in no mood to be deceived any longer by the crafty devil and false character whose greatest pleasure is to take advantage of everyone."

Camille Claudel, French Sculptor

Character, Devil, Pleasure

19

"To look is one thing, to see is another thing; to see is very difficult, normally; to look is to try to see. I have looked and I hope I have seen."

"To look is one thing, to see is another thing; to see is very difficult, normally; to look is to try to see. I have looked and I hope I have seen."

Eduardo Chillida, Spanish Sculptor

19

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