Quotes by Artists

It's always a pleasure to talk about someone else's work. Chuck Close

Work Else Pleasure About Someone Talk Always

I wanted to translate from one flat surface to another. In fact, my learning disabilities controlled a lot of things. I don't recognize faces, so I'm sure it's what drove me to portraits in the first place. Chuck Close

Most people are good at too many things. And when you say someone is focused, more often than not what you actually mean is they're very narrow. Chuck Close

Good You People Too Say Focused Someone More Most Narrow Very Than Often Mean Many Actually Things

I knew from the age of five what I wanted to do. The one thing I could do was draw. I couldn't draw that much better than some of the other kids, but I cared more and I wanted it badly. Chuck Close

Age Better Other Other Kids Draw Kids One Thing Some More Could Badly Knew Five Than The One Thing Wanted Much Thing Cared

Painting is the frozen evidence of a performance. Chuck Close

Painting Evidence Performance Frozen

Painting is a lie. It's the most magic of all media, the most transcendent. It makes space where there is no space. Chuck Close

Lie Space Painting Magic Most Makes Transcendent Where Media

Ease is the enemy of the artist. When things get too easy, you're in trouble. Chuck Close

You Enemy Trouble Too Ease Easy Get Artist Things

I'm poor white trash from the state of Washington. Chuck Close

White State Poor Trash Washington

Of all the artists who emerged in the '80s, I think perhaps Cindy Sherman is the most important. Chuck Close

Important Think Cindy Emerged Perhaps Most Artists The Most Important Who

If the bottom dropped out of the market and the artist was not going to sell anything, he or she will keep working, and the dealer will keep trying to find some way to convince somebody to buy this stuff. Chuck Close

I have no intention of flattering people. I like wrinkles and crow's feet and flaws, and somebody should know, if I'm going to photograph them, that's going to show up, you know? Chuck Close

You People Somebody Wrinkles Photograph No Intention Crow Feet Like Know Up Going Intention Flattering Them Flaws Should Show

I have always worked better alone and from my own impressions. Claude Monet

Alone Better Own My Own Always Impressions Worked

I do have a dream, a painting, the baths of La Grenouillere for which I've done a few bad rough sketches, but it is a dream. Renoir, who has just spent two months here, also wants to do this painting. Claude Monet

Few Painting Baths Months Spent Bad Dream Also La Done Just Wants Which Sketches Who Rough Here Two

There, the grand lines of mountain and sea are admirable, and apart from the exotic vegetation that is here, Monte Carlo is certainly the most beautiful spot of the entire coast: the motifs there are more complete, more picturelike, and consequently easier to execute. Claude Monet

Really, subtlety is what is really important to me and my work. Cliff Chiang

Work Me Important Subtlety Really

Everybody has said or done the wrong thing and regretted it later, but at the time, you really couldn't help it! As you get older, you're more guarded, but that's a really tough process of learning, to be brutally honest, about some things and keeping your mouth shut about others. Cliff Chiang

Time You Learning Tough Wrong Thing Mouth Older Guarded Everybody Others Later Some Some Things About More Brutally Wrong Said Get Done Process Regretted Really Your Help Keeping Thing Things Shut Honest

Ditko isn't a direct influence, but I really admire his work and how his personality always comes through the drawing. There's a honest and quirky humanity to it, and you always feel the artist behind the comic. That's really rare. Cliff Chiang