5009 quotes by artists for you to enjoy

Artwork operates on two different levels: On one level, there's artwork as a mode of expressivity, and then there's the other side, where the image is a construction that is meant to engage in a discursive field in order to perform a particular function. Kerry James Marshall

I used to always say - and I think a lot of artists think of it this way - that when you see a black figure, the way the critical establishment operated, you can only imagine that figure having a sociological value. They never say the ways in which their aesthetics were equally worthy of consideration. Kerry James Marshall

You Value Black Think Consideration Way Say Ways Critical Worthy See Having Only Never Operated Equally Always Aesthetic Were Lot Artists Establishment Which Used Figure Sociological Imagine

I have been a stalwart advocate for the legacy of Charles White. I have said it so often, it could go without saying. I have always believed that his work should be seen wherever great pictures are collected and made available to art-loving audiences. Kerry James Marshall

Work Saying Great Made Seen White Collected Charles Could Pictures Without Advocate Said Always Audiences Go Been His Legacy Often Wherever Available Should Believed

A close friend of mine described me as a radical pragmatist. I embrace this no-nonsense distinction wholeheartedly. It is a character trait that matches the sense of myself I've had from as far back as I can remember. I am not one who goes in much for magical thinking. I don't believe in destiny, fate, or things like divine guidance, either. Kerry James Marshall

Myself Character Me Guidance Fate Remember Sense Radical Believe Thinking Back Mine Distinction Destiny Embrace Magical Divine Had Like Matches Am Friend Close Close Friend Trait Goes Either Far Much Who Wholeheartedly Things

Every step on my way to becoming an artist seemed preordained. The right people were always in the right places at the right times to boost me to the next level. I was fortunate to be selected for a summer drawing class offered to teens at the Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles County. Kerry James Marshall

Art Me Class People Every Every Step Right People Teens Summer Way Drawing Boost Angeles Seemed Selected Step Institute County Always Becoming Los Los Angeles Were Times Offered Artist Places Next Next Level Fortunate Preordained Right Level

People don't really want to hear me say this, but a black person who will give a million dollars to the Museum of Modern Art but won't give a million to the Studio Museum in Harlem is simply mistaken. Kerry James Marshall

I gave up on the idea of making art a long time ago, because I wanted to know how to make paintings; but once I came to know that, reconsidering the question of what art is returned as a critical issue. Kerry James Marshall

To me, if there is any sort of value added to the accumulation of knowledge over time, then the work of artists should be a reflection of that accumulated value, accumulated knowledge. You have to demonstrate that you have the sophistication to put that into play in the work you're making. Kerry James Marshall

When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has made a thing that should have enough information in it in the way it's constructed to start thinking about why that picture got made - not why it is relevant to you. Kerry James Marshall

Art You Travel Opportunity Made Picture Thinking Enough Way Relevant About Constructed Another Got Intellect Person Information Place Should Engage Who Works Why Thing Start

The history of political movements in the African diaspora is that the solution to the problem is never in the hands of people who are advancing the movement. I try and operate on my own terms. Kerry James Marshall

History People Problem Political Try Own Solution My Own Never Advancing Terms Operate Hands Movement The History Of African Movements Who

Too often, if you look back through the history of representation and you take the work of African-American artists, the work is on such a modest scale that it becomes sort of inconsequential. Kerry James Marshall

Work History You Too Back Scale Through Take Look Sort Becomes Often Representation Artists The History Of African-American Modest Inconsequential

Clarity is important. Part of what I'm trying to do with some of these pictures is eliminate as much of the potential, as many kind of readings as people might want to make, as possible. Kerry James Marshall

People Important Possible Kind Clarity Some Potential Part Pictures Make Important Part Readings Trying Want Might Much Many Eliminate

When I go to the movies, I'm expected to identify with all of the characters, and most of them are white. But when you put a black character in there, somehow the white audience isn't expected to identify with them. That's a problem. Kerry James Marshall

Character You Problem Black White Characters Somehow Put Most Identify Audience Go Expected Movies Them

Another thing that's pathetic is this rule that you have to look ugly to get respect as an actress. Jessica Lange had to make herself look really bad to prove that she had amazing talent. Kevyn Aucoin

My entire mission in life is to help women take over the world. Not by force (the route so many men have taken since the beginning of time), but with compassion, perseverance, and love. Kevyn Aucoin

Life Love Time Perseverance Women World Compassion Men Beginning Entire Take Taken Over Since Mission Force Help Many Route

Kids threw rocks at me, told me I was ugly and left death threats in my locker. Kevyn Aucoin

Death Me Ugly Kids Locker Threats Threw Rocks Left

Fights with my father were really quite brutal. I would not live his vision. I would not become who he wanted me to be. Everything I did was criticized. I would spend three months drawing something and show him, and he would look up from his paper and just look back down. I got no approval from him for anything I did that was creative. Kevyn Aucoin

Me Creative Vision Father Three Become Down Live Back Spend Everything Approval Months Paper Drawing Would Criticized Something Brutal He Look Him Got Were His Up Did Quite Just Wanted Anything Really Show Fights Who

I don't use 'always do this,' 'never say that' and I never give advice because I'm not the end-all, be-all authority. Kevyn Aucoin

Advice Say Give Never Because Always End-All Authority Use

I was a regular little boy who also enjoyed things that girls did. Kevyn Aucoin

Girl Also Boy Did Little Regular Who Enjoyed Things

I'm very passionate about what I do. Kevyn Aucoin

About Passionate Very

I was absolutely lost in love and life when I did my drawings. Time stood still. Kevyn Aucoin

Life Love Time Lost Drawings Absolutely Still Did Stood

I think the responsibility lies with the fashion world as a collective. We have to demand more variety. Kevyn Aucoin

Fashion World Responsibility Collective Think Lies More Variety Demand Fashion World

Quotes by Artists