black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

The enormous pitfall is devotion to oneself instead of to life. All works that are self-devoted are absolutely ineffective.

Agnes Martin

What I say is that we’re capable of a transcendent response, and I think it makes us happy. And I do think beauty produces a transcendent response.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Beauty Capable Happy Make Response Thinking Transcendent Transendemt
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
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
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
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
Art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Emotion Feeling Representation Subtle
To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like.
AGNES MARTIN

Giving Life Like Mind Progress Thing Up
You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind.
AGNES MARTIN

Acceptable Find Mind Think Thinking
Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind.
AGNES MARTIN

Beauty Eye Life Mind Mystery
What we really want to do is serve happiness. We want everyone to be happy, never unhappy even for a moment. We want the animals to be happy.
AGNES MARTIN

Animal Everyone Happiness Really Serve Unhappy Wanted
This is the attractiveness of artwork. It is adventurous, strenuous and joyful.
AGNES MARTIN

Adventurous Artwork Attractiveness Joyful Stremous
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
I want to say that they are not what they seem to be. I want to say that all that seems like fantastic mistakes are not mistake.
AGNES MARTIN

Fantastic Like Mistake Seem Wanted
I want to emphasize the fact that we all have the same experience and the same concern, but the artist must know exactly what the experience is. He must pursue the truth relentlessly.
AGNES MARTIN

Artist Concern Emphasize Exactly Experience Feet Mind Pursue Relentlessly Same
It’s not about facts, it’s about feelings. It’s about remembering feelings and happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Fact Feeling Happiness Remembering Thinking
Fulfill your potential. That’s the way to happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Fulfill Happiness Potential Way

The enormous pitfall is devotion to oneself instead of to life. All works that are self-devoted are absolutely ineffective.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

The enormous pitfall is devotion to oneself instead of to life. All works that are self-devoted are absolutely ineffective.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Agnes Martin Quotes