black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

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
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
Give up doing the things that you do not like to do.
AGNES MARTIN

Do Doing Give Like Thing
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 paint with my back to the world
AGNES MARTIN

Back Paint World
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
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
To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like.
AGNES MARTIN

Giving Life Like Mind Progress Thing Up
It’s not about facts, it’s about feelings. It’s about remembering feelings and happiness.
AGNES MARTIN

Art Fact Feeling Happiness Remembering Thinking
When you look in your mind you find it covered with a lot of rubbishy thoughts.
AGNES MARTIN

Covered Look Looking Mind Rubbishy Thought
The adventurous state of mind is a high house… The joy of adventure is unaccountable.
AGNES MARTIN

Adventure High House Joy Mind State
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
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
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
I’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate.
AGNES MARTIN

Careful Idea Inaccurate
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

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Agnes Martin Quotes