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

Agnes Martin

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
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
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
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
I once taught art to adults in a night course. I had a woman who painted her back yard, and she said it was the first time she had ever really looked at it. I think everyone sees beauty. Art is a way to respond
AGNES MARTIN

Adult Art Course Night Once Taught Think Thinking
You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind.
AGNES MARTIN

Acceptable Find Mind Think Thinking
The worst thing you can think about when you’re working is yourself.
AGNES MARTIN

Think Thinking Working Worst Yourself
They are immeasurable, completely lacking in substance. They are perfect and sublime. This is the subject matter of art.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Completely Lacking Memory Perfect Subject Sublime Substance
Nature is like parting a curtain, you go into it …. as you would cross an empty beach to look at the ocean.
AGNES MARTIN

Beach Cross Curtain Empty Look Nature Ocean Painting
The manipulation of materials in an artwork is a result of this state of mind.
AGNES MARTIN

Artwork Manipulation Material Mind Result State
Doing what you were born to do … That’s the way to be happy.
AGNES MARTIN

Born Doing Happy Way
My paintings are not about what is seen. They are about what is known forever in the mind.
AGNES MARTIN

Forever Mind Painting Perception Seen
All that seems like error is not error; and it all has to be done. That which seems like a false step is the next step.
AGNES MARTIN

Done Error False Next Seem Step
I paint with my back to the world
AGNES MARTIN

Back Paint World
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
Happiness is being on the beam with life – to feel the pull of life
AGNES MARTIN

Beam Feel Happiness Life Pull

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

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

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