A work of art doesn’t have a subject. It has a spirit.
– Agnes Martin, as quoted in Michael Auping’s 30 Years: Interviews and Outtakes
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6 thoughts on “Art Has a Spirit”
i really needed this quote today. thank you Alyson. Agnes rules!
Great inspiration for the day!
Undoubtedly true- when you see a great painting there are no words to describe the feeling it gives you. What the painting might have represented falls away.
The funny thing is spirit is hard to grasp directly. Often we artists NEED the right subject matter to give us a head start on building something that can hold that feeling.
Wonderful quote; seems fitting it would come from an artist who liked to meditate and think before starting her compositions.
Martin’s words speak the truth!
So maybe it’s about how you see the world. DaVinci talked about finding beauty in the cracks in an old wall. If you put a frame (metaphorical or otherwise) around something, does that help you see something new that was maybe under your nose but you didn’t see it?