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A definition of art is that it makes concrete our most subtle emotions. I think the highest form of art is music. It’s the most abstract of all art expression.

Agnes Martin

It’s through discipline and tremendous disappointment and failure that you arrive at what it is you must paint.
AGNES MARTIN

Arrive Disappointment Discipline Failure Must Paint Through
Doing what you were born to do … That’s the way to be happy.
AGNES MARTIN

Born Doing Happy Way
I would like my work to be recognized as being in the classical tradition (Coptic, Egyptian, Greek, Chinese), as representing the Ideal in the mind. Classical art cannot possibly be eclectic.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Classical Memories Perfection Tradition
This is the attractiveness of artwork. It is adventurous, strenuous and joyful.
AGNES MARTIN

Adventurous Artwork Attractiveness Joyful Stremous
When you look in your mind you find it covered with a lot of rubbishy thoughts.
AGNES MARTIN

Covered Look Looking Mind Rubbishy Thought
I think our minds respond to things beyond this world. Take beauty: it’s a very mysterious thing, isn’t it?
AGNES MARTIN

Beauty Beyond Mind Mysterious Respond Thing Thinking World
You can’t make a perfect painting. We can see perfection in our minds. But we can’t make a perfect painting.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Mind Painting Perfect Perfection
To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like.
AGNES MARTIN

Giving Life Like Mind Progress Thing Up
Fulfill your potential. That’s the way to happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Fulfill Happiness Potential Way
Anything can be painted without representation.
AGNES MARTIN

Anything Painting Representation
I hope I have made it clear that the work is about perfection as we are aware of it in our minds but that the paintings are very far from being perfect – completely removed in fact – even as we ourselves are.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Aware Hope Made Mind Ourself Perfect Perfection
Withdraws and makes itself up again pulls itself together with pride towers with pride rushes forward into imaginary conquest crashes in frustration withdraws with remorse and repentance pulls itself together with new resolution
AGNES MARTIN

Conquer Crashes Forward Make Pride Pull Repentance Tower Withdrawl
It’s not about facts, it’s about feelings. It’s about remembering feelings and happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Fact Feeling Happiness Remembering Thinking
Beauty and happiness and life are all the same and they are pervasive, unattached and abstract and they are our only concern.
AGNES MARTIN

Abstract Art Beauty Happiness Perfect Pervasive Sublime Unattached
When I first made a grid I happened to be thinking of the innocence of trees and then this grid came into my mind and I thought it represented innocence, and I still do, and so I painted it and then I was satisfied. I thought, this is my vision.
AGNES MARTIN

First Grid Happenedm Innocense Made Mind Satisfy Think Thinking Tree
There’s nobody living who couldn’t stand all afternoon in front of a waterfall …. Anyone who can sit on a stone in a field awhile can see my painting.
AGNES MARTIN

Afternoon Beach Front Living Nature Nobody Ocean Stand Waterfall

A definition of art is that it makes concrete our most subtle emotions. I think the highest form of art is music. It’s the most abstract of all art expression.

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A definition of art is that it makes concrete our most subtle emotions. I think the highest form of art is music. It’s the most abstract of all art expression.

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Popular Authors

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