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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

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
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
Pollock was terrific. I think he freed himself of all kinds of worry about this world. Ran around and dripped, and then he managed to express ecstasy.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Himself Kind Pollock Terrific Think Thinking Worry
When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Awareness Beauty Eye Life Mystery Perfection Think
Fulfill your potential. That’s the way to happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Fulfill Happiness Potential Way
My paintings are certainly nonobjective. They’re just horizontal lines.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Certainly Hint Horizontal Life Nonobjective Painting Thinking
It is commonly thought that everything that is can be put into words.
AGNES MARTIN

Commonly Everything Put Thought Word
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
The Minimalists are idealist. They want to minimise themselves in favour of the ideal. But I just can’t. You see, my paintings are not cool.
AGNES MARTIN

Favour Idea Idealist Minimalist Minimise Themselves Want
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
The adventurous state of mind is a high house… The joy of adventure is unaccountable.
AGNES MARTIN

Adventure High House Joy Mind State
It would be an endless battle if it were all up to ego because it does not destroy and is not destroyed by itself It is like a wave it makes itself up,It rushes forward getting nowhere really it crashes
AGNES MARTIN

Battle Destroy Destroyed Ego Endless Frustration Life Pride
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
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
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
The worst thing you can think about when you’re working is yourself.
AGNES MARTIN

Think Thinking Working Worst Yourself
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
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’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate.
AGNES MARTIN

Careful Idea Inaccurate
There’s not any hint of nature. And still everybody responds, I think.
AGNES MARTIN

Everybody Hint Nature Respond Think
This is the attractiveness of artwork. It is adventurous, strenuous and joyful.
AGNES MARTIN

Adventurous Artwork Attractiveness Joyful Stremous
Any material may be used but the theme is the same and the response is the same for all artwork.
AGNES MARTIN

Artist Artwork Material May Response Theme
Happiness is being on the beam with life – to feel the pull of life
AGNES MARTIN

Beam Feel Happiness Life Pull
Inspiration is there all the time. For everyone whose mind is not clouded over with thoughts whether they realize it or not.
AGNES MARTIN

Closed Everyone Inspiration Mind Realizing Through Time
I’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate.
AGNES MARTIN

Careful Idea Inaccurate
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
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

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

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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

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