Sculpture is what you bump into when you back up to see a painting.
Barnett NewmanRead
I hope that my painting has the impact of giving someone, as it did me, the feeling of his own totality, of his own separateness, of his own individuality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the hope that art can evoke a sense of individuality and personal completeness in viewers.
Barnett Newman emphasizes the transformative power of art, suggesting that a painting can instill in the viewer a profound awareness of their own unique identity and wholeness. This sentiment reflects the artist's desire for his work to resonate deeply, allowing individuals to connect with their sense of self and appreciate their separateness from others through the experience of art.
Themes
ArtIndividualitySelfIdentityExpression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art exhibition to describe the artist's intent.
More from Barnett Newman
All quotes βWhat is the explanation of the seemingly insane drive of man to be painter and poet if it is not an act of defiance against mans fall and an assertion that he return to the Garden of Eden? For the artists are the first men.
Barnett NewmanRead
Any art worthy of its name should address 'life', 'man', 'nature', 'death' and 'tragedy'.
Barnett NewmanRead
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