23 Ellsworth Kelly Quotes for You to Enjoy

Ellsworth Kelly

American Artist

Born: May 31, 1923

Died: Dec 27, 2015

Always Because Color Drawing Drawings Me

Related authors: Andy Warhol Jackson Pollock Jean-Michel Basquiat Jeff Koons Kehinde Wiley Keith Haring Yoko Ono

Matisse draws what I call the essence of the plants. He leaves a shape open. He'll do a leaf and not close it. Everybody used to say, oh, I got it all from Matisse, and I said, 'Not really.' Ellsworth Kelly

Plants Everybody Say Draws Shape Open He Leaf Call Said Got Leaves Close Essence Oh Really Used

I have a sort of inner sense for scale. Ellsworth Kelly

Sense Scale Sort Inner

I started doing sculpture in 1959. I had no commissions then. They were painted, similar in style to the paintings... At a certain point, I decided I didn't want an edge between two colors, I wanted color differences in literal space. Ellsworth Kelly

Space Edge Style Differences Similar Color Point Colors Had Between Doing Were Want Literal Wanted Decided Then Certain Sculpture Certain Point Painted Paintings Started Two

I always felt that a painted edge between two colors was a depiction somehow. Ellsworth Kelly

Edge Somehow Colors Between Felt Always Depiction Painted Two

My drawings have to be quick. If they don't happen in 20 minutes or a half hour, then they're no good. Ellsworth Kelly

Good Half Drawings Minutes Hour Quick Happen Then

My earliest drawing is a supposed Carracci. It wasn't very expensive, I guess, because they don't know if it's a real Carracci. But it has all these seals on it of people who've owned it, and one of the great portrait painters of England, Reynolds, had owned it, so that's the earliest. Ellsworth Kelly

Great People Guess Drawing Had Supposed Know Because Real Very Owned Expensive England Seals Painters Portrait Earliest

I've always wanted... I wanted to give people joy. Ellsworth Kelly

People Joy Give Always Wanted

All my work begins with drawings. Ellsworth Kelly

Work Drawings All My Work Begins

In Boston, I developed my eye from the drawing. In Paris, I was fascinated by what my eye saw in the way that Paris is built, its 'measure.' Ellsworth Kelly

Saw Way Drawing Eye Paris Boston Developed Built Measure Fascinated

In Paris in the late '40s, I started making my first reliefs. They are separate panels. I wanted to do something coming out of the wall, almost like a collage. I did a lot of white reliefs when I started because I liked antique reliefs, really old stuff. Ellsworth Kelly

Old First White Late Collage Out Something Paris Almost Stuff Like Liked Because Making Coming Lot Antique Wall Did Wanted Really Separate Old Stuff Started

I sometimes don't try to invent something. I wait for some kind of a direction - and it happens. I get an angle, for instance, and it just appears, and I say, 'Oh my God - that's it!' Ellsworth Kelly

God Sometimes Wait Try Invent Say Kind Some Angle Something Direction Instance Get Oh Just Oh My God Happens Appears

I'm constantly investigating nature - nature, meaning everything. Ellsworth Kelly

Nature Everything Constantly Investigating Meaning

I did not want windows, only skylights. I chose my painting wall as it has the best morning light. Ellsworth Kelly

Best Morning Light Painting Windows Only Wall Did Want Chose

The negative is just as important as the positive. Ellsworth Kelly

Positive Negative Important Just

Time has always been very important in my work. Ellsworth Kelly

Work Time Important Always Been Very

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