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One must see the ideal in one’s own mind. It is like a memory – an awareness -of perfection.

Agnes Martin

The happiness of every living thing is what we want.
AGNES MARTIN

Every Happiness Living Thing Want
When you look in your mind you find it covered with a lot of rubbishy thoughts.
AGNES MARTIN

Covered Look Looking Mind Rubbishy Thought
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
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
You have to penetrate these and hear what your mind is telling you to do. Such work is original work.
AGNES MARTIN

Hear Mind Original Penetrate Telling Work
The enormous pitfall is devotion to oneself instead of to life. All works that are self-devoted are absolutely ineffective.
AGNES MARTIN

Devotion Enormous Instead Life Oneself Pitfall Self
I think everyone sees beauty. Art is a way to respond
AGNES MARTIN

Art Beauty Everyone Respond See Way
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

Abstract Concrete Definition Expression Form Make Music Subtitle
I think it’s a response in our minds to perfection. It’s too bad, people not realizing that their minds expand beyond this world.
AGNES MARTIN

Beyond Expand Mind People Perfection Realizing Response World
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
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
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
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
Give up doing the things that you do not like to do.
AGNES MARTIN

Do Doing Give Like Thing
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

One must see the ideal in one’s own mind. It is like a memory – an awareness -of perfection.

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One must see the ideal in one’s own mind. It is like a memory – an awareness -of perfection.

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Popular Authors

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