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Willem de Kooning Quotes

Artist

Willem de Kooning was a Dutch-born American abstract expressionist painter. Known for his bold colors and dynamic brushstrokes, his work had a profound impact on 20th-century art.

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All Art Artist Paint Painting Thinking Ifs Ideas Space Abstract Form I Can Way Absurd Certain Matter Painter Peaceful Pure Seems Abstraction

Famous Willem de Kooning Quotes

“The idea of space is given to the artist to change if he can. The subject matter in the abstract is space.”

Ifs Ideas Matter Artist Given Space Subjects Abstract Subject Matter

Book:De Kooning: A Retrospective

Source: De Kooning: A Retrospective

“I'm not interested in 'abstracting' or taking things out or reducing painting to design, form, line, and color. I paint this way because I can keep putting more things in it - drama, anger, pain, love, a figure, a horse, my ideas about space. Through your eyes it again becomes an emotion or idea.”

Way I Can Ideas Eye Pain Form Lines Space Emotion Figures Design Color Painting Drama Horse Paint Not Interested Reducing Because I Can Love Pain

Author:Willem de Kooning

“In art one idea is as good as another.”

Art Ideas Trembling

Book:De Kooning: A Retrospective

Source: De Kooning: A Retrospective

“Every so often, a painter has to destroy painting. Cezanne did it, Picasso did it with Cubism. Then Pollock did it. He busted our idea of a picture all to hell. Then there could be new paintings again.”

Ideas Hell Painting Painter Busted Cubism Cezanne Pollock

Author:Willem de Kooning

“I paint the way I do because I can keep on putting more and more things in - like drama, pain, anger, love, a figure, a horse, my ideas of space. It doesn't matter if it differs from mine, as long as it comes from the painting, which has its own integrity and intensity.”

Ifs Way Long I Can Ideas Matter Pain Space Figures Mines Painting Integrity Drama Horse Paint Intensity Because I Can Anger Love

Author:Willem de Kooning

“In art, one idea is as good as another. If one takes the idea of trembling, for instance, all of a sudden most art starts to tremble. Michelangelo starts to tremble. El Greco starts to tremble. All the Impressionists start to tremble.”

Ifs Art Ideas Artist Instance Trembling Impressionists

Book:Willem de Kooning

Source: Willem de Kooning

About the Author

Born: April 24, 1904
Died: March 19, 1997
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 54

Books & Sources

De Kooning: A RetrospectiveRelated source material

Willem de Kooning: Pittsburgh International Series, October 26, 1979-January 6, 1980, Museum of Art, Carnegie InstituteRelated source material

Willem de Kooning, 1904-1997: Content as a GlimpseRelated source material

De Kooning: a centennial exhibitionRelated source material

Willem de KooningRelated source material

De Kooning: paintings, 1960-1980Related source material

Willem De Kooning: Vellums : March 21-April 21, 2001Related source material

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