Interviewing the Artists

As you know, I love and collect quotes, so I imagined myself asking artists questions that I was curious about.

How do you think about your subjects?

Gilbert Stuart lamented, "What a business this of a portrait painter - you bring him a potato and expect he will paint you a peach.” Marcel Duchamp was more introspective: “Do unto others as they wish, but with imagination.”

What do you wish to accomplish through your art?

Salvador Dali believed that "A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others." In order to accomplish that, Piet Mondrian responds, "The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel."

When do you feel that your artwork is complete?

Leonardo answered, “Art is never finished, only abandoned”. Rembrandt, however, knowing he had quite the ego, said, “A painting is finished when the artist says it is finished.” Again, I think Duchamp had the best answer, “Art is completed by the viewer”.

Who do you believe qualifies as an artist?

Picasso famously replied, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Textile artist and teacher Tien Chiu tells his students, “You cannot aspire to be an artist, because you already are one.”

Is it hard to be an artist?

“Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do,” Degas answered. Michelangelo concurred, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”

Why do you create art?

Filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky believes "The artist exists because the world is not perfect. Art would be useless if the world were perfect..." Frida Kahlo says more simply, “I paint Flowers so they will not die”.

How do you define art?

El Anatsui, a Ghanaian sculptor, answered, "Art is a reflection on life. Life isn't something we can cut and fix. It's always in a state of flux." Degas responds

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”. Edward Hopper thinks for a moment and then replies, “If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.”

How do you accomplish what you wish to do?

Georgia O’Keeffe said, "I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at—not copy it." Banksy believes, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”.Balthus concurred, “Painting is a source of endless pleasure, but also of great anguish.” Author Fredrik Backman instructs, "Don't paint the way things look, paint the way they feel".

One last question ... do you listen to the critics?

Composer Jean Sibelius answered simply, “Pay no attention to what the critics say ... Remember, a statue has never been set up in honor of a critic!" Jean-Michel Basquiat summed it up, "I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is".