Frustration is one of the great things in art. Satisfaction is nothing.
Philip GustonRead
No good to paint in the head - what happens is what happens when you put the paint down - you can only hope that you are alert - ready - to see. What joy it is for paint to become a thing - a being. Believe in this miracle - it is your only hope. To will this transformation is not possible. Only a slow maturation can prepare the hand and eye to become quicker than ever. Ideas about art don't matter. They collapse anyway in front of the painting.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of the process of creating art rather than theoretical ideas about it.
Philip Guston's quote reflects the deep connection between the artist and the act of painting, suggesting that true artistic expression emerges through the tangible act of creation, rather than abstract concepts. He highlights the transformative power of art, conveying that preparation and experience enable the artist to respond instinctively to the canvas. The joy of art lies in the unforeseen results that arise when paint meets surface, encouraging artists to trust the process rather than overthink it.
Themes
ArtCreationProcessTransformationPainting
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in an art class to encourage students to focus on the act of painting rather than worrying about perfection.
More from Philip Guston
All quotes →I go to the studio everyday because one day I may go and the Angel will be there. What if I don't go and the Angel comes?
Philip GustonRead
You know, comments about style always seem strange to me - 'why do you work in this style, or in that style' - as if you had a choice in the matter... What you're doing is trying to stay alive and continue and not die.
Philip GustonRead
If the artist starts evaluating himself, it’s an enormous block, isn’t it?
Philip GustonRead
Painting is an illusion, a piece of magic, so what you see is not what you see.
Philip GustonRead
Probably the most potent desire for a painter, an image-maker, is to see it. To see what the mind can think and imagine, to realize it for oneself, through oneself, as concretely as possible.
Philip GustonRead
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