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What concerns me when I work, is not whether the picture is a landscape, or whether it's pastoral, or whether somebody will see a sunset in it. What concerns me is - did I make a beautiful picture?
Helen Frankenthaler
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of beauty in art rather than its categorization or subject matter.

Helen Frankenthaler's quote reflects the essence of artistic creation, focusing on the pursuit of beauty rather than the conventional classifications of art such as landscapes or pastoral scenes. It suggests that the true value of a piece lies in its aesthetic appeal and the emotional response it evokes, rather than how it is categorized or perceived by others.

Themes

ArtBeautyCreationExpressionAesthetic

In practice

Example use cases

In an art class, to inspire students to focus on the beauty of their own creations.

More from Helen Frankenthaler

Every canvas is a journey all its own.
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There are many accidents that are nothing but accidents-and forget it. But there are some that were brought about only because you are the person you are... you have the wherewithal, intelligence, and energy to recognize it and do something with it.
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I don't start with a color order, but find the colors as I go.
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We would sift through every inch of what it was that worked, or if it didn't, and wonder what was effective in it, in terms of paint, the subject matter, the size, the drawing.
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Art has a will of its own. It has nothing to do with the taste of the moment or what's expected of you. That's a formula for dead art, or fashionable art.
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I don't resent being a female painter. I don't exploit it. I paint.
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