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Quote by William Baziotes

“The eye seems to be responding to something living.”

Quote by William Baziotes

Author

William Baziotes

William Baziotes, born on June 11, 1912, was an influential American painter. He is known for his significant contributions to the Abstract Expressionist movement in the mid-20th century. Baziotes' works are characterized by their unique use of color and formal exploration, which have had a profound impact on subsequent artists. more

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“As for the subject matter in my painting.. ..it is very often an incidental thing in the background, elusive and unclear, that really stirred me.”

Matter Subjects Painting Backgrounds Subject Matter Elusive Unclear

Book:William Baziotes: A Retrospective Exhibition : an Exhibition

Source: William Baziotes: A Retrospective Exhibition : an Exhibition

“I think when a man first discovers that two and two is four, there is 'beauty' in that; and we can see why. But if people stand and look at the moon and one says 'I think it's just beautiful tonight' and the other says 'The moon makes me feel awful' we are both 'clear'. A geometric shape - we know why we like it; and an unreasonable shape; it has a certain mystery that we recognize as real; but it is difficult to put these things in an objective way.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men Way Feels Firsts Looks Two Real Beautiful Certain Difficult Clear Four Mystery Shapes Moon Objectives Awful Tonight Unreasonable Geometric Geometric Shapes

Author:William Baziotes

“There is always an unconscious collaboration among artists.. ..the artist who imagine himself a Robinson Crusoe is either a primitive or a fool.”

Artist Imagine Fool Unconscious Collaboration Primitive Robinson Crusoe

Author:William Baziotes

“Let the poet dream his dreams. Yet, the poet must look at the world; must enter into other men's lives; must look at the earth and the sky, must examine the dust in the street; must walk through the world and his mirror.”

Men World Looks Dream Earth Walks Sky Streets Poet Mirrors Dust

Author:William Baziotes

“I kept.. ..returning to the (ancient Roman) wall paintings with their veiled melancholy and elegant plasticity.”

Painting Wall Ancient Melancholy Elegant Plasticity

Author:William Baziotes

“The large gray spiked form rising from the bottom of the picture is to me the symbol of death and ruin. And finally the black ovoid form is the symbol of fire, lava and destruction.”

Form Black Fire Destruction Bottom Ruins Symbols Rising Gray Lava

Author:William Baziotes

“In the beginning I drew and painted from nature in order to know her. Then later, only to fall under her spell. And today, to let her mirror my thoughts and feelings.”

Knows Feelings Today Order Fall Mirrors Spells My Thoughts Thoughts And Feelings

Author:William Baziotes

“I can not evolve any concrete theory about painting.”

I Can Painting Theory Evolve Concrete Can Not

Author:William Baziotes

“One can begin a picture and carry it through and stop it and do nothing about the title at all.”

Titles Recollection

Book:William Baziotes: A Retrospective Exhibition : an Exhibition

Source: William Baziotes: A Retrospective Exhibition : an Exhibition

“I consider my painting finished when my eyes goes to a particular spot on the canvas. But if I put the picture away about thirty feet on the wall and the movements keep returning to me and the eye seems to be responding to something living, then it is finished.”

Ifs Seems Eye Feet Movement Particular Painting Wall Finished Spots Thirty Canvas Responding

Author:William Baziotes