Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,161,747 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“The simple natural form doesn't exist for the new artist; there is only a expressive one.. .But is is more difficult to see the natural in images than to listen to only abstract impressions. To be part of the cosmic means to include the recognition of the natural element that leads to seeing in a spirited way. (translation from original Dutch: Fons Heijnsbroek)”
Charley Toorop (1891–1955) first seen 1917 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: in her article: 'Iets over Nieuwe Schilderkunst', in art-magazine De Stijl, Oct. 1917
“Vetulani is a rebellious artist: when we admire beautiful faces, forms, wide-framed Dutch landscapes, he says "and now for something you haven’t expected." The spectator is awakened from a reverie and confronted with an object of mysterious ugliness, like silicone heads of the pope.”
Tomasz Vetulani (born 1965) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Agnieszka Gołębiewska, Curatorial text accompanying exhibition There is no threat. Weapons and colour, 2017
“The music industry has basically become an indie artist's dream.”
Adam Mardel (born 1989) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Musicology Interview, 2018
“Great chefs have three things in common. The first is the understanding that mother nature is the true artist and they are the cook. The second is that everything they do becomes an extension of them as a person. Third, they give you insight into the world they came from, the world that inspired them. They show that off on their plates.”
Marco Pierre White (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Most cooks when they are young tend to overwork their food to hide their lack of confidence and appreciation for Mother Nature. In time they learn that she is the true artist—we're just the the cooks.”
Marco Pierre White (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I take the position that I do not ask anyone else to do what I myself would not do and using myself as subject . . . as material (I) want to displace the power and separation of the artist from what's made. In the masculine tradition the director, the producer is always outside of the work because he's above it.”
Carolee Schneemann (1939–2019) said by 2019 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The greatness of an artist depends on selecting and interpreting whatever phase in Nature may appeal to his sense of beauty.”
Andrew MacLaren (1883–1975) first seen 1913 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Scottish Co-operator in July 1913
“It would've been too easy to go looking for an artist from the same hazy 'beautifully messy' school of creation as Brian Froud, whose aesthetic is most closely linked to the Henson movies. But there's literally nobody who can do that stuff as well, so why bother? It makes far more sense to lean the other way and present this world in a very clean and bold aesthetic.”
Simon Spurrier (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was working as a team and in a relationship. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable being a solo artist and I’m sure that those girls have a lot more to say about that than I do. I never went into meetings trying to get a record deal by myself, so it’s a little bit different.”
Debbie Harry (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think it's important, if you are an artist, to use your music to stand up for what you believe in…That's what everyone should do with their lives…stand up for what they believe in, or try to do some good in the world. I don't think artists have a greater responsibility than anyone else.”
Tracy Chapman (born 1964) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how artist expression can be a form of political activism in “A militant mellows” in The Guardian (27 Sep 2002)
“I'm an artist…and I'm part of every decision in a movie. This is not how they work in Hollywood. There, the director is part of the crew, not the main creator. I'm too old to change now. I wouldn't know how to do it.”
Pedro Almodóvar (born 1949) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On why Almodóvar has forgone directing a Hollywood film in “Pedro Almodóvar interview for The Skin I Live In” in The Telegraph (2011 Aug 13)
“I feel that it's part of my work as an artist, a creator, a human being, is to integrate and to be more inclusive and to define American as large and not as exclusive. (2007)”
Maxine Hong Kingston (born 1940) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don't like hearing non-Chinese people say to a Chinese person, "Well now I know about you because I have read Maxine Hong Kingston's books." Each artist has a unique voice. Many readers don't understand that. The problem of how "representative" one is will only be solved when we have many more Chinese American writers. Then readers will see how diverse our people are.”
Maxine Hong Kingston (born 1940) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I see their role as the same as ever; the artist is to give voice to the issues that are given to us in a confused manner, so that people can understand the role that they must play…I think the role of the cultural worker is to define those things we receive from those that are in power, and give it back to the community, presented it in a more clear way.”
Malaquías Montoya (born 1938) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how technological advancements have not diminished the cultural role of artists (as quoted in “’What better function for art at this time than as a voice for the voiceless’: The Work of Chicano Artist Malaquías Monto…
“I am really fed up doing second-rate roles in mediocre films and working against the prejudice that comes with my "image." I have studied all my life. I am not trying to become an actress, I am an artist and an actress.”
Raquel Welch (1940–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My life has been a privilege. I come from a very humble family. No one in my family was an artist or worked in film…I’m not special. I completely understand that what I did, anyone can do it … I learned to do the things I love to do when I didn’t want to do them.”
Edward James Olmos (born 1947) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On his journey as an actor in “Edward James Olmos Reflects on the Legacy of ‘Stand and Deliver,’ Three Decades Later” in Remezcla (2019 May 30)
“To become great, whether an artist, a musician, a writer, a philosopher or creator or scientist, even as one great in sport, the secret lies, assuming there is some native ability in the first place, in one factor above all others – emotion.”
Percy Cerutty (1895–1975) said by 1975 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Greatness; as quoted in "Unrequited obsession" by Chris Jefferis, The Sydney Morning Herald (11 October 2008).
“I can only respond as an artist, because that’s what I am. I’m not going to become a politician all of a sudden. I am a politician in terms of the plays that I write, the way I embrace culture, the way I embrace characters that, in my particular case, have to do with the Latino world. And I embrace the Latino experience…”
Nilo Cruz (born 1960) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On whether he feels pressured to represent the Latino community after winning a Pulitzer in “Nilo Cruz by Emily Mann” in BOMB Magazine (2004 Jan 1)
“How do I treat this character, given my sensitivity toward being a woman and then my ire being a black person — trying to balance those two?...And as an artist, really wanting to be generous of spirit with all of the characters so that I treat them with humanity and with understanding — to be empathetic without being sympathetic?”
Ifa Bayeza (born 1958) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On balancing the themes of racial injustice in “New play looks at the lives touched by Emmett Till's death” in MPR News (2019 Feb 12)
“I’m an artist. I write plays. So my first call — to the heavens, to battle — usually involves a call to create in the midst of so much destruction.”
Kirsten Greenidge first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how her plays typically address sociological issues in “CATCHING UP WITH KIRSTEN GREENIDGE” (Huntington Theatre Company; 2016 Feb 12)
“I’m most excited about being ‘in the room.’ To me, as a theatre artist, it is really one of the best feelings in the world.”
Kirsten Greenidge first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the rehearsal process in “CATCHING UP WITH KIRSTEN GREENIDGE” (Huntington Theatre Company; 2016 Feb 12)
“I am simply M. Tanner, an American artist. Nobody knows or cares what was the complexion of my forebears. I live and work there in terms of absolute social equality.”
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937) said by 1937 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On settling in Paris, France (as quoted in “Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit” in Title Magazine; 2012)
“I think there are many open-ended questions that artists can pose and we can ask communities to feel empowered enough to reply, respond, rebel, and feel amazed by the relentless spiraling of thought and image and action that is the artist's profession.”
Kara Walker (born 1969) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On what the artist should aim for in “Art Talk with Kara Walker” (National Endowment of the Arts; 2012 Feb 1)
“I think it means where the artist doesn’t necessarily have a full understanding of something, but they have deep empathy. They have some kind of amazing empathy with the characters in the world. I just think it means being openhearted and generous. I think that to be a conscious person is to sort through stuff in order to understand not just yourself but how you feel in the world.”
Hilton Als (born 1960) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how he defines “soulful” in “Hilton Als on What It Means to Be Hopeful, Despite the World” in LitHub (2015 Dec 16)
“I have no desire to offer a political message in a novel. An artist cannot hide from her or his political beliefs; they will be in the work. But to presume that I am smart enough to preach a position runs counter to my artistic sense.”
Percival Everett (born 1956) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the avoidance of a political message in his works in “Coming Home from Irony: An Interview with Percival Everett, Author of ‘So Much Blue’” in Los Angeles Review of Books (2017 Aug 23)
“…The play does not purport to be the play of the community—it’s really about that artist’s idiosyncratic voice and what that encounter elicits in them…”
Michael John Garcés (born 1967) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the playwright’s typical thought process in “Interview with Michael Garcés” (HOWLROUND THEATRE COMMONS; 2014 Sep 3)
“As I mature as an artist and human being, what wants to “express” itself through any of the areas I love: acting, directing, writing, singing, teaching and storytelling—all of it has a mind and heart of its own now! My task now is to stay out of the way and let it have its way with me! It’s a “beginner’s mind” with every encounter!”
Amparo Garcia-Crow first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On maturing as an artist in “Amparo Garcia-Crow” (50 Playwrights; 2016 May 12)
“I really wanted to be a model when I was little. I loved photography and I loved being on camera. But I was short and chubby so I couldn’t. Anyway, being an artist is way more interesting than just being a model because it’s about you and what you want to be. You’re not being treated like a clothes hanger.”
Billie Eilish (born 2001) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Billie Eilish interview: The 15-year-old pop sensation aiming right for the top" by David Smyth, Evening Standard (30 October 2017)
“The type of artist I am now is so much more focused, verses before, things were all over the place. I was chasing “what was hot” or what I thought the “next sound” was in music. But I was disregarding how I truly felt about the music. Now all that just background noise to me, and I’m all about expressing who I am.”
Antonio Fresco (born 1983) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Being misunderstood is the measure of an artist, being understood is the measure of a man.”
Ron English (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think that all dreams should evolve. I think its ok to dream small or to dream realistically. But, as you achieve those small goals and achieve those dreams, that they should grow, as your ideas and creativity and you yourself as a creative and an artist and a human being should grow.”
Mattie Do (born 1981) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: IDE2018 Symposium - Mattie Do - 13 Jun 2018, at 11 Min 32 Sec
“This bouquet is not given lightly. I've worked with many of the screen's greatest stars, and, if I were tendering posies merely to strike a popular chord, I should pick one of them. But Tamiroff is so far ahead of the field as a hard-working artist that he easily claims all awards.”
Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959) first seen 1938 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Private Lives of Film Stars - Akim Tamiroff" (1938)
“The making of a picture involves two processes: a taking in of the impression and giving out of it by the visible expression. (....) The degree of beauty in a picture depends upon the feeling for beauty in the artist and his power to express it.”
Alma Thomas (1891–1978) said by 1978 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I wanted to be appreciated for what I was as a person and what I had to offer. I didn’t feel my work meant anything there. I knew I was a good artist and I wanted to express my feelings. Not the writer’s or the director’s; I wanted to express me. I wanted to play the role of somebody who was mentally ill. I think I could have done a really good job, because I knew those feelings.”
Kim Novak (born 1933) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the types of roles she was being offered in “‘I had to leave Hollywood to save myself’: Kim Novak on art, bipolar, Hitchcock and happiness” in The Guardian (2021 Feb 15)
“It’s good as an artist to always remember to see things in a new, weird way. It’s like weird, twisted poetry, the way kids perceive things. And quite beautiful sometimes. They kind of blow your mind and ground you at the same time”
Tim Burton (born 1958) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Tim Burton (January 11, 2010)
“As an artist, as much as some say they don’t care what the audience thinks, I think that’s bullshit. The bottom line as artists, we want people to respond to our work, we want to move people emotionally. That’s the whole purpose in life!”
Daniel Myrick (born 1963) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Den of Geek interview: Daniel Myrick" (June 12, 2008)
“People know my work, they know specifics about it, a lot of them know the history about it, as an artist that’s the coolest thing ever.”
Tim Jacobus (born 1959) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Goosebumps illustrator on 25 years of scaring children (October 30, 2017)
“My secret weapon is my anger. That's what stimulates me as an artist. I want change. I want it yesterday. I'm pissed off at America. Society. American movies. American TV. American culture. American politicians. Capitalism. [...] Impatience and rage are always just beneath the surface for me.”
Dan Fante (1944–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am a Chinese American actor and there was nothing for me, and how can you take that slap in the face back and forth each year? Being from Minnesota, I’m a fighter, you know. I was an artist and wanted something more because it’s a lifetime of work. You just don’t want to get a paycheck to become a cliché person.”
James Hong (born 1929) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: James Hong, 89-Year-Old Chinese American Actor: “I Never Thought It Would Take This Long” (August 17, 2018)
“Sometimes I have difficulty with the avant-garde. There's a gallery in London I've been to and it's difficult to tell what's going on. A bag of nails, a ladder, a hammer - a crisp bag in the corner. Is it an exhibition or are they preparing an exhibition? Is the artist asking me to pay attention to something trivial or important?”
Bernard MacLaverty (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It all starts with a good song. You can look cool and work hard, but that won’t be enough. People will get into your coolness once they like the song. That’s when people want to find out more about an artist.”
Sébastien Lefebvre (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the US, my makeup artist was an elderly lady. She would put on my eyeliner using reading glasses. It’s something unimaginable in Korea.”
Yunjin Kim (born 1973) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Kim Yun-jin still hungry for the next role" in The Korea Herald (30 March 2017)
“The artist builds a framework, and the community fills it in.”
Sepandar Kamvar (born 1977) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Syntax & Sage: Reflections on Software and Nature (2015)
“Mama, now I can breathe,...“This is a classical piece that reflects our current time, and as an artist, that is my job–to bring light into the darkness, to convey the pain of what I witness and experience, to inspire change…and, if I’m lucky, to escape the reality of America. Music is, and will always be, my therapy.”
Edward W. Hardy (born 1992) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From an interview in “How Critically Acclaimed Violinist Edward W. Hardy Is Transforming Mood Into Music” Forbes (2021 Feb 23)
“I want to be remembered as a person who, or as an artist who provided comfort for people.”
Alessia Cara (born 1996) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Universal Music Korea (October 2018)
“The real martial artist must first be a role model in ethics.”
Reza Goodary (born 1988) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The championship period is short. What we show in the heroic era comes back to us in the veteran era. The real martial artist must first be a role model in ethics. Parsine News, (September 9, 2021)
Also quoted by: Hamza Hamry
“It’s a very rewarding experience to put songs out there that actually go on to impact people’s lives positively.” [9] Sharing her experience on what it feels like to be a gospel Artist.”
Lara George (born 1978) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is truly frightening for a young woman artist to separate herself from the patriarchal artistic discourse that she learnt from, that does not support her and that she would like to be part of.”
Orshi Drozdik (born 1946) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was born immediately after WWII, in 1946. I decided to become an artist at the age of 10, after my father’s death.”
Orshi Drozdik (born 1946) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I did 1,180 performances, and I’ve fallen in love with the company. It was a career-defining moment that helped me become a more well-rounded artist. But I really enjoy travel, and I enjoy creating my own shows.”
Jenn Colella (born 1974) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On leaving Come From Away in "Jenn Colella ready for next destination in high-flying career" in San Francisco Chronicle Datebook (2020-02-27)