25 Quotes by Agnes Martin
Agnes Martin was a Canadian-born American artist known for her minimalist abstract paintings. Her work was characterized by subtle variations in color and tone, as well as a focus on symmetry and repetition. Martin believed that her paintings could evoke emotions and spiritual experiences in the viewer, and her work has been described as both meditative and transcendental. Her paintings continue to inspire contemporary artists and are considered some of the most important works of the 20th century. (Bio)
Agnes Martin Quotes
Of all the pitfalls in our paths and the tremendous delays and wanderings off the track, I want to say that they are not what they seem to be. I want to say that all that seems like fantastic mistakes are not mistakes, all that seems like erroris not error; and it all has to be done. That which seems like a false step is the next step.
Art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings.
Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye, it is in the mind.
Doing what you were born to do … That’s the way to be happy.
My paintings are not about what is seen. They are about what is known forever in the mind.
It’s not about facts, it’s about feelings. It’s about remembering feelings and happiness. A definition of art is that it makes concrete our most subtle emotions. I think the highest form of art is music. It’s the most abstract of all art expression.
Beauty and happiness and life are all the same and they are pervasive, unattached and abstract and they are our only concern. They are immeasurable, completely lacking in substance. They are perfect and sublime. This is the subject matter of art.
To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like. Give up doing the things that you do not like to do. You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind.
It’s through discipline and tremendous disappointment and failure that you arrive at what it is you must paint.
When I first made a grid I happened to be thinking of the innocence of trees and then this grid came into my mind and I thought it represented innocence, and I still do, and so I painted it and then I was satisfied. I thought, this is my vision.
I’m very careful not to have ideas, because they’re inaccurate.
I used to meditate until I learned to stop thinking.
Inspiration is there all the time. For everyone whose mind is not clouded over with thoughts whether they realize it or not.
When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection.
I paint with my back to the world
That which takes us by surprise-moments of happiness-that is inspiration.
I once taught art to adults in a night course. I had a woman who painted her back yard, and she said it was the first time she had ever really looked at it. I think everyone sees beauty. Art is a way to respond
The worst thing you can think about when you’re working is yourself. (Meaning)
I want to emphasize the fact that we all have the same experience and the same concern, but the artist must know exactly what the experience is. He must pursue the truth relentlessly. Once he sees this fact his feet are on the path. If you want to know the truth you will know it. The manipulation of materials in an artwork is a result of this state of mind. The artist works by awareness of his own state of mind.
When you look in your mind you find it covered with a lot of rubbishy thoughts. You have to penetrate these and hear what your mind is telling you to do. Such work is original work.
There’s nobody living who couldn’t stand all afternoon in front of a waterfall …. Anyone who can sit on a stone in a field awhile can see my painting. Nature is like parting a curtain, you go into it …. as you would cross an empty beach to look at the ocean.
It is commonly thought that everything that is can be put into words.
I often paint tranquility. If you stop thinking and rest, then a little happiness comes into your mind. At perfect rest you are comfortable.
Fulfill your potential. That’s the way to happiness.
Everyone is born 100 percent ego, and after that it’s just adjustment. (Meaning)
― Agnes Martin Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
