“Any artistic achievement that is tailored to conform to social demands rather than to the real, uninhibited, feelings of its creator, is destined not to reach the heights of achievement, or even fail. It is only when an artist is dis-inhibited that he or she can reach the heights of artistic achievement.” RealFeelingsArtistSocialFailingDemandAchievementCreatorArtisticHeightConformDestinedTailored Author:Semir Zeki
“Just let the artist sign an empty canvas or a frame, with the inscription, 'I had such and such a concept in mind' for this work. The artist then need not bother with producing the work, and therefore need not be worried about being dis-satisfied. All he or she needs to do is to sell it to a collector. The collector will have the guarantee that the artist thought about the work, even if momentarily, and therefore be satisfied.” IfsNeedsMindArtistConceptsEmptySellsSatisfiedWorriedBotherGuaranteesCanvasCollectorsGuarantees ThatInscriptionsEmpty Canvas Author:Semir Zeki
“Most artists, or at least most of the ones I know, deny having a philosophical outlook that they try to translate into their works. Some had thought of the work of Cezanne and others as being a 'painted epistemology.' But Cezanne himself denied this and Daniel-Henri Kahnwiler, the art critic and art dealer, insisted that none of the many painters he had known had a philosophical culture.” KnowsTryingArtPhilosophyArtistCultureKnownPhilosophicalCriticsDenyPainterDeniedTranslateOutlookDealerEpistemologyCezanneArt Critic Author:Semir Zeki
“Artists erase reality to a greater or lesser extent, and substitute their own reality - created by their brains, instead.” RealityArtistBrainGreaterSubstitutesErase Author:Semir Zeki
“No one would want to pay a penny for an empty canvas by me. But it would be quite another if the empty canvas were signed by a great artist. I would be surprised if an empty canvas by Picasso or Matisse signed and inscribed with the words, 'I wanted to paint such and such on this canvas, but did not do so,' would not fetch thousands... After all, with an empty canvas, the possibilities are limitless, and so perhaps is the cash.” IfsWantWould BeWantedArtistPayPossibilityEmptyPaintRecognitionCashCanvasGreat ArtLimitlessPenniesGreat ArtistFetchMatisseEmpty Canvas Author:Semir Zeki
“I view all art as an effort to translate brain concepts into a work. These brain concepts are synthetic ones - the result of many experiences. But a single work of art, or even a series of works, more often than not cannot translate these synthetic concepts adequately. Yves Saint Laurent once said that he suffered greatly when creating. He is not alone in that. Most artists do the same and say as much.” ArtSaidArtistSufferingResultsViewsEffortBrainCreatingConceptsSeriesSaintWorks Of ArtTranslateNot AloneSynthetic Author:Semir Zeki
