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Romare Bearden Quotes

Artist

American artist Romare Bearden (1911-1988) is renowned for his collages, which often depict the lives and history of African Americans. Bearden's works blend various artistic styles, including Expressionism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism.

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All Artist Art Art Is Paint Painting People Ifs Activity African American Color Essence Imagination Kind Knows Memories Organize Painter Self Time Want

Famous Romare Bearden Quotes

“The artist has to be exactly the opposite [of people singing the song, I've gotta be Me,] and transcend himself as he makes judgements.”

People Artist Song Ego Singing Opposites Judgement

Author:Romare Bearden

“Every artist wants his work to be permanent. But what is? The Aswan Dam covered some of the greatest art in the world. Venice is sinking. Great books and pictures were lost in the Florence floods. In the meantime we still enjoy butterflies.”

Men World Want Art Stills Book Happiness Joy Lying Artist Time Lost Enjoy Sin Excellence Permanent Immortality Covered Butterfly Flood Monarchy Venice Sinking Great Book Dams Florence

Author:Romare Bearden

“The function of the artist is to organize the facets of life according to his imagination.”

Life Artist Imagination Function Organize Facets

Book:The Art of Romare Bearden

Source: The Art of Romare Bearden

“If you're any kind of artist, you make a miraculous journey, and you come back and make some statements in shapes and colors of where you were.”

Ifs Kind Artist Journey Color Shapes Statements Miraculous

Author:Romare Bearden

“The artist confronts chaos. The whole thing of art is, how do you organize chaos?”

Art Whole Artist Art Is Chaos Organize

Author:Romare Bearden

“The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs.”

Needs Artist Mouths Wide Swimming Whales Absorbing

Book:Romare Bearden, his life & art

Source: Romare Bearden, his life & art

“Practically all great artists accept the influence of others. But... the artist with vision sees his material, chooses, changes, and by integrating what he has learned with his own experiences, finally molds something distinctly personnel.”

Artist Accepting Vision Influence Materials Great Art Mold Great Artist Integrating Personnel

Author:Romare Bearden

“Art is the soul of a people.”

People Art Soul Artist Art Is

Author:Romare Bearden

“When I conjure these memories, they are of the present to me, because after all, the artist is a kind of enchanter in time.”

Kind Artist Time Memories Painter African American Enchanting Conjuring

Author:Romare Bearden

About the Author

Born: September 2, 1911
Died: March 12, 1988
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 25

Books & Sources

Romare Bearden, his life & artRelated source material

Romare Bearden, 1911-1988: A Memorial ExhibitionRelated source material

Romare Bearden: Paintings and ProjectionsRelated source material

Romare Bearden: The Human Condition : [exhibition] October 3-October 26, 1991Related source material

The Art of Romare BeardenRelated source material

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