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Art

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“I make installations and the final result is a video projection and the photograph. If I didn’t make video projections, then call me one thing; if I didn’t make photos, then call me another. I’m in between an installation artist, video artist and photographer. And when you work with nude bodies, you’re immediately called a pornographer or a fashion photographer.”
Spencer Tunick (born 1967) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Spencer Tunick in: "Interview Spencer Tunick," at coolcleveland.com, 2004.
“Laura was born an authentic artist, and, coming together, my job was to help her bring all of it forward and out. [...] The artist is a shaman; a wounded healer. We have wounds that we want to bring forth through the material. It's joyful, it's painful, but not painful in a bad way. And when you do that, you also heal people in the audience.”
Sandra Seacat (1936–2023) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As heard in "Laura Dern and Sandra Seacat: Hollywood Mentors," The Hollywood Reporter (February 18, 2015)
“In shows selected by artists where there is no consciousness of sex, as in the American Abstract Artist Shows which began in the late 1930's or the Artists Annuals of the early 1950's, the ratio [between male and female artists presented there] seemed to be between one third and one quarter women. The only way to arrive at a true ratio, I suppose, would again be to have artist-juried shows.”
Elaine de Kooning (1918–1989) said by 1989 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I should like all artists to sell their fingerprints, or else stage competitions to see who can draw the longest line or sell their shit in tins. The fingerprint is the only sign of the personality that can be accepted: if collectors want something intimate, really personal to the artist, there's the artist's own shit, that is really his.”
Piero Manzoni (1933–1963) first seen 1961 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote In Manzoni's letter to the artist Ben Vautier, December 1961 (reprinted in 'Battino and Palazzoli', p. 144); as cited by Sophie Howarth of Tate, in Piero Manzoni 'Artist's Shit' 1961 - Summary, November 2000
“He's the greatest bull artist in the world—and only occasionally the greatest artist in the world.”
Edward G. Robinson (1893–1973) first seen 1973 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Picasso; as quoted in Leonard Spigelgass's epilogue to All My Yesterdays: An Autobiography (1973), by Edward G. Robinson, p. 276
“I think to be an artist it means a certain sensitivity, because I believe in evolution. I believe the more sensitive you are the more you draw from this One Mind; which is part of the whole, part of everything. I think we all have that ability to be tuned in, but I think great artists are just more tuned in. One who's expressing God to the fullest, that's an artist.”
Peggy Moran (1918–2002) said by 2002 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You can not take something that an artist created during the creative process, and then discarded, and say it is an authentic work of that artist.”
Marc Randazza (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think we are all gifted as children, but we aren’t gifted with the same gifts. In crowded, poor schools, an overwhelmed teacher can’t always help us discover what our gifts are. I am grateful my mom was a frustrated artist. At home we drew murals, created puppet shows, had craft hours, went to the library, visited museums. I’m certain without my mom, I wouldn’t have been an artist today.”
Sandra Cisneros (born 1954) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how her mother influenced her future creative direction in “Interview with Sandra Cisneros” in Latino Book Review (2018 Oct 1)
“The only good artist is a dead artist.”
Ron English (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You can stump yourself if you try too hard or something, but everybody has a gift for something, and, people who do what I do, they can envision things so it’s not difficult. Once you get to a point as an artist — the type of artist I am — where you can envision it and then you can draw what you see in your mind, then you’re pretty much unleashed.”
David Wenzel (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A little bit of me is in every book I have written. Consciously, or unconsciously, an artist gives away a piece of the ‘self’. It is widely believed that a good piece of creative work is an extension of the artist.”
Zaynab Alkali (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An artist will protect his offspring as a hen covers her chicks. Dismiss the created offering of an artist as unworthy, you start a rebellion that savors of outraged paternity. But one never ought to let rejection sink in. He should be up and at it. (October 6th)”
Art Young (1866–1943) said by 1943 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Artist in big city / City is a huge anthill, in which the artist, overcoming obstacles and dangers, resists temptations and rushes towards his success against time. My subjective city is a punk quest in the format of a classic board game. Having thrown the dice, you can try your fate: reach the finish line or get stuck in the labyrinth of the octopus city forever.”
Valery Korchagin (born 1969) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Valery Korchagin Artist in Big City / City as Artist's subjectivity. Artist's book project. Catalog. (Rus & En) — SPb: Ed. T. Markova. 2020. — 128 p. — P. 121.
“The problem I have with streaming it is that it doesn't take account of different audiences and markets. It doesn't distinguish between a popular musician whose (millions of) fans are willing to only pay two cents for a stream and a jazz artist whose smaller fan base is willing to pay two dollars to listen to their work. As things stand, the jazz artist can't take advantage of it.”
Tumi Molekane (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It’s not necessarily people, it’s really just a system. But once you’re an artist you’re not really an artist, you’re an entertainer – your life is entertainment for people. It’s a system of distraction.”
Tems (born 1995) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As an artist, there's so many categories that you're put into, that there are so many things that I'm about that I've never explored as an artist on film. I don't see myself in so many characters in film.”
Carmen Ejogo (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was very clear about why I wanted to be in this industry ... The first thing I said to myself was that I will never be a starving artist, and I have never been a starving artist.”
Tumi Morake (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Going for a reality show developed me as an artist. Vodafone Icons helped develop me as an artist, I am Cina Soul because of my time on Vodafone Icons, I may not have won but being on the show gave me an identity. I know a lot of people out there have faith and believe in me so I have to make everyone proud by giving it my all.”
Cina Soul (born 1996) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ivy Kekeli, Cina Soul shares her musical journey, yfmghana, 7 November 2022.
“The connoisseur will describe the style and the technique of the artwork attributed to a given artist. If asked to judge the authenticity of the work, the brushwork, style, and composition have to be consistent with those of the purported artist. Furthermore, there needs to be an examination as to whether or not the chronology of the painter’s own artistic development is followed.”
Jehane Ragai (born 1944) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The role of every artist is to fight for truth and justice. It is an ethical question, a knowledge that every artist should possess.”
Svetlana Bojković (born 1947) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview (2021)
“I’m reintroducing myself to make my fans know that I am a diverse artist who is comfortable in every genre. My next album will focus on one of the genres on this EP. I featured Baba Harare on ‘Ndipe Mwana’ because I love jiti, and as a diverse traditional dancer and artist I thought he would be the best to bring out my jiti traditional side.”
Vimbai Zimuto (born 1983) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Zim: Vimbai Zimuto drops Muroora ahead of 27 May EP launch, By Ano Shumba, retrieved on 26 May 2022
“Without inspiration, without the Muses' enchantment, no artist, no matter how skilled they may be, can be considered a true artist.”
Giovanni Reale (1931–2014) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: L'arte di Riccardo Muti e la Musa platonica, Bompiani, Milano, 2005. ISBN 88-452-3367-7
“I’m in a position where I don’t have to be labeled… I don’t have to call myself an Indian artist to sell my work, and I decided that it was more to my advantage not to label myself as a particular kind of artist, based solely on my genealogy… now I know that I can be part of something, part of that lineage, without being defined by it.”
Margarete Bagshaw (1964–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Why, in our time, either you were beautiful, you were an artist. Or you were bought by a prostitute, you were an artist, you were a comedian. Well, now, even if you were a complete 'shongs,' you can do it.”
Dina Bonnevie (born 1961) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 'Pare-pareho ng mukha': Dina Bonnevie says young stars today look alike, Philstar.com 11 July 2025.
“An important woman and exceptional artist, Alida Chelli, actress, singer, dancer, sensational artist, who,”
Pippo Baudo (1936–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A real artist does not only paint when he sits at an easel – a real artist paints in his head all the time!”
Johan Oldert (1912–1984) said by 1984 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To watch a hair artist going through his precise gestures, like an artist making a sculpture, is fascinating.”
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (1930–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To really show my versatility, and show I’ve got a lot more to offer as an artist. And to make quality music, being versatile. Also, I just wanted to show that I’m here to stay as an artist, and that I got longevity.”
Polo G (born 1999) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It was a special celebration because I got to play with an orchestra, which has always been a dream of mine. And I think, like, if you ask any artist, I feel like that’s in every artist’s dream or, like, to-do list. Like, to be able to play with an orchestra,”
Clara Benin (born 1994) first seen 2026 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Passion, Persistence, and a Promising Era: Clara Benin Reflects on a Decade-Long Career in Music, Lance Joseph Martinez 7 March 2026.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
Pablo Picasso (disputed) first seen 1976 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote attributed to Picasso in TIME, October 4, 1976, Modern Living: Ozmosis in Central Park [http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918412,00.html
“To the Führer. This is the truth which bound me to thee: I looked for thee and found my Fatherland. I was a leaf floating in limitless space. Now thou art my homeland and my tree. How far would I be carried by the wind, wert thou not the strength that flows up from the roots. I believe in thee, for thou art the nation. I believe in Germany. For thou art Germany's son.”
Baldur von Schirach (1907–1974) first seen 1939 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A poem written by Schirach about Hitler. Quoted in "Dem Führer: Gedichte für Adolf Hitler" - Page 7 - by Karl Hans Bühner - German poetry - 1939
“A great work of art is one that truly moves and inspires you. You yourself must be moved. Don't look at art with others' eyes. Don't listen to music with others' ears. You must react to art with your own feelings, your own heart and mind.”
Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[M]y credo is very short. Its first article is art—and its second is art—and its third is art!”
Mary Augusta Ward (1851–1920) said by 1920 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I often told the fanatics of realism that there is no such thing as realism in art: it only exists in the mind of the observer. Art is a symbol, a thing conjuring up reality in our mental image. That is why I don't see any contradiction between abstract and figurative art either.”
Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is the same with art. Art will become the product of another duality in man: the product of a cultivated externality and of an inwardness deepened and more conscious. As a pure representation of the human mind, art will express itself in an aesthetically purified, that is to say, abstract form.”
Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) said by 1944 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Art on the contrary sought this harmony in practice [of art itself]. More and more in its creations it has given inwardness to that what surrounds us in nature, until, in Neo-Plasticism, nature is no longer dominant. This achievement of balance may prepare the way for the fulfillment of man and signal the end of (what we call) art.”
Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) first seen 1921 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In a letter to Rudolph Steiner, c. 1921-23; as quoted in Abstract Painting, Michel Seuphor, Dell Publishing Co., 1964, p. 85
“Quote of Mondrian about the years 1914-18; in 'Mondrian, Essays' ('Plastic art and pure plastic art', 1937 and his other essays, (1941-1943) by Piet Mondrian; Wittenborn-Schultz Inc., New York, 1945, p. 10; as cited in De Stijl 1917-1931 - The Dutch Contribution to Modern Art, by H.L.C. Jaffé; J.M. Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 1956, p. 43”
Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) said by 1944 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The idea of taking up art as a calling, a profession, is a mirage. Art enriches life. It makes life worth living. But to make a living at it—that idea is incompatible with making art.”
John Sloan (1871–1951) said by 1951 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I realized that the only possible response was to go to my wonderful local café, Maison Bertaux, check everyone was well, eat a little cake and then make art. To me, making art, and in particular public art, is always an assertion of our humanity and our strength.”
Martin Firrell (born 1963) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In response to the London bombings of 7 July 2005, quoted in the International Herald Tribune (19 September 2005).
“Minority art, vernacular art, is marginal art. Only on the margins does growth occur. (Epilogue)”
Joanna Russ (1937–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think it's called Arte Povera. But it doesn't mean 'poor art'. It means the art which you would do out there if you were nobody at all. Aspects of this are street art and so forth. Earthworks interest me to the single extent that it means a great extension of the possibilities of materials. Dirt is a wonderful material to make things out of. And mud and rocks and things like this...”
Carl Andre (1935–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The assertion that art may be good art and at the same time incomprehensible to a great number of people is extremely unjust, and its consequences are ruinous to art itself...it is the same as saying some kind of food is good but most people can't eat it.”
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In spite the mountains of books written about art, no precise definition of art has been constructed. And the reason for this is that the conception of art has been based on the conception of beauty.”
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And so the arbitrary union of three incommensurate, mutually disconnected concepts became the basis of a bewildering theory... [by which] one of the lowest renderings of art, art for mere pleasure — against which all of the master teachers warned — was idealized as the ultimate in art.”
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“L'art n'est pas chaste [...], on devrait l’interdire aux ignorants innocents, ne jamais mettre en contact avec lui ceux qui y sont insuffisamment préparés. Oui, l'art est dangereux. Ou s'il est chaste, ce n'est pas de l'art.”
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) first seen 1957 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote by Antonina Vallentin (1963 [1957]), Picasso, p. 168.
“There still remained, for all men to share, the linked worlds of love and art. Linked, because love without art is merely the slaking of desire, and art cannot be enjoyed unless it is approached with love.”
Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) said by 2008 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The revolution cannot seek to stifle art or culture since one of the goals and fundamental aims of the revolution is to develop art and culture, precisely so that art and culture truly become the patrimony of the people.”
Fidel Castro (1926–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Politics has been called the “art of the possible,” and it actually is a realm akin to art insofar as, like art, it occupies a creatively mediating position between spirit and life, the idea and reality.”
Thomas Mann (1875–1955) first seen 1945 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at the US Library of Congress (29 May 1945); published as "Germany and the Germans" ["Deutschland und die Deutschen"] in Die Neue Rundschau [Stockholm] (October 1945), p. 58, as translated by Helen T. Lowe-Porter
“Nor is it any part of my thesis to maintain that it [the detective story] is a vital and significant form of art. There are no vital and significant forms of art; there is only art, and precious little of that.”
Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) first seen 1945 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: essay, first appeared in The Atlantic Monthly (November, 1945)
“There is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law. I love music passionately. And because l love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth — an open-air art, boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art.”
Claude Debussy (1862–1918) said by 1918 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in An Encyclopedia of Quotations About Music (1981) by Nat Shapiro, p. 268
Also quoted by: Κλωντ Ντεμπυσσύ (el)