black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

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 often paint tranquility. If you stop thinking and rest, then a little happiness comes into your mind. At perfect rest you are comfortable.
AGNES MARTIN

Happiness Mind Often Paint Perfect Stop Think Thinking Tranquility
Doing what you were born to do … That’s the way to be happy.
AGNES MARTIN

Born Doing Happy Way
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
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
The worst thing you can think about when you’re working is yourself.
AGNES MARTIN

Think Thinking Working Worst Yourself
Once he sees this fact his feet are on the path. If you want to know the truth you will know it.
AGNES MARTIN

Fact Feet Know Path Truth
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
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
Happiness is being on the beam with life – to feel the pull of life
AGNES MARTIN

Beam Feel Happiness Life Pull
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
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
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

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Agnes Martin Quotes