black
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The apprehension of… values is intuitive; but it is not a built-in intuition, not something with which one is born. Intuition in art is actually the result of… prolonged tuition.

Ben Shahn

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Now, my knowledge of photography was terribly limited.
BEN SHAHN

Limited
I became interested in photography when I was sharing a studio with Walker Evans, and found my own sketching was inadequate.

BEN SHAHN

I became interested in photography when I was sharing a studio with Walker Evans, and found my own sketching was inadequate.
BEN SHAHN

Found Sketching
To abstract is to draw out the essence of a matter. To abstract in art is to separate certain fundamentals from irrelevant material which surrounds them.
BEN SHAHN
How do you paint yellow wheat against a yellow sky? You paint it jet black.

BEN SHAHN

How do you paint yellow wheat against a yellow sky? You paint it jet black.
BEN SHAHN

Yellow
It may be any one of an infinite number of concepts, none of which may have any possible bearing upon its degree of newness.
BEN SHAHN

Bearing Concept Newness Number
Only an individual can imagine, invent, or create. The whole audience of art is an audience of individuals.

BEN SHAHN

Only an individual can imagine, invent, or create. The whole audience of art is an audience of individuals.
BEN SHAHN

Individuality
Forms in art arise from the impact of idea upon material… so that thinking and belief and attitudes may endure as actual things.

BEN SHAHN

Forms in art arise from the impact of idea upon material… so that thinking and belief and attitudes may endure as actual things.
BEN SHAHN
All art is based on non-conformity.
BEN SHAHN

Based Conformity
All art is based on nonconformity … Without nonconformity we would have had no Bill of Rights or Magna Carta, no public education system, no nation upon this continent, no continent, no science at all, no philosophy, and considerably fewer religions.

BEN SHAHN

All art is based on nonconformity … Without nonconformity we would have had no Bill of Rights or Magna Carta, no public education system, no nation upon this continent, no continent, no science at all, no philosophy, and considerably fewer religions.
BEN SHAHN
If one has set for himself the position that his painting shall not misconstrue his personal mode of thinking, then he must be rather alert to just what he does think.
BEN SHAHN

Mode
To abstract is to draw out the essence of a matter.
BEN SHAHN

Abstract
Form is the shape of content.
BEN SHAHN

Form Shapes
The apprehension of… values is intuitive; but it is not a built-in intuition, not something with which one is born. Intuition in art is actually the result of… prolonged tuition.
BEN SHAHN
I’ve been asked often what is the difference between an amateur and a professional artist, and I will tell you.
BEN SHAHN

Differences Sunday
It may be a point of great pride to have a Van Gogh on the living room wall, but the prospects of having Van Gogh himself in the living room would put a great many devoted art lovers to rout.
BEN SHAHN

Living Prospects
An ametuer is an artist who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint. A professional is someone whose wife works to enable him to paint.

BEN SHAHN

An ametuer is an artist who supports himself with outside jobs which enable him to paint. A professional is someone whose wife works to enable him to paint.
BEN SHAHN

Jobs

The apprehension of… values is intuitive; but it is not a built-in intuition, not something with which one is born. Intuition in art is actually the result of… prolonged tuition.

Related Topics

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