Making art is complicated because the categories are always changing. You just have to make your own art, and whatever categories it falls into will come later.
Frank StellaRead
No art is any good unless you can feel how it's put together. By and large it's the eye, the hand and if it's any good, you feel the body. Most of the best stuff seems to be a complete gesture, the totality of the artist's body; you can really lean on it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art's value lies in its ability to evoke a physical and emotional connection through its construction.
Frank Stella emphasizes that the quality of art is determined not just by its visual appeal but by the profound connection it establishes with the viewer. A true piece of art engages the observer through its craftsmanship and the physical investment of its creator, making it resonate on a deeper level beyond mere aesthetics.
Themes
ArtEmotionCraftsmanshipConnectionArtistGesture
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art class to inspire students about the connection between the creator and their work.
More from Frank Stella
All quotes →But, after all, the aim of art is to create space - space that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space within which the subjects of painting can live.
Frank StellaRead
Similar quotes
There's this inherent screenplay structure that everyone seems to be stuck on, this three-act thing. It doesn't really interest me. To me, it's kind of like saying, 'Well, when you do a painting, you always need to have sky here, the person here and the ground here.' Well, you don't.
Charlie KaufmanRead
Hip-hop is a beautiful culture. It's inspirational, because it's a culture of survivors. You can create beauty out of nothingness.
Mos DefRead
Music is a beautiful opiate, if you don't take it too seriously.
Henry MillerRead
A story is like something you wind out of yourself. Like a spider, it is a web you weave, and you love your story like a child.
Katherine Anne PorterRead
The curious thing about the Ready-Made is that I've never been able to arrive at a definition or explanation that fully satisfies me. There's still magic in the idea, so I'd rather keep it that way than try to be exoteric about it.
Marcel DuchampRead
What a privilege and honour it has been to be part of seven years of magic in a tent - 'The Great British Bake Off.'
Mary BerryRead