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Quote by Julie Mehretu

“The erasure itself became the action. It seemed to suggest a moment in terms of how sad or pessimistic you can feel in a political environment or a historical situation. But it felt like a really hopeful gesture in the painting.”

Quote by Julie Mehretu

Author

Julie Mehretu is a renowned contemporary artist known for her abstract paintings and prints. Her work often blends influences from African and Western art, addressing complex social and political issues. Born in 1970, Mehretu has made a significant impact in the art world. more

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“The earlier, more analytic impulse was to use very rational but kind of absurd techniques or tendencies—mapping, charting, and architecture—to try and make sense of who I was in my time and space and political environment. But there’s only so much truth to a theoretical understanding of something.”

“The investigation of making is illuminating towards that moment rather than the other way around, a reversal of the way that I would approach making a painting before. I think that it gets to a richer illumination of the moment, which is what I was trying to do at the beginning but going about it a little backwards.”

Thinking Way Trying Littles Moments Painting Approach That Moment Investigation Backwards Illumination Illuminating Reversal

Author:Julie Mehretu

“I'm not trying to spell out a story. I still think you feel the painting, and the reason you read the mark is because you also feel the mark.”

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“Race always comes up in the conversation of Detroit.”

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“And in a situation of war, we all experience it in much the same way, either as victim or perpetrator. So I’m not narrating a particular story. I’m just addressing experiences.”

Way War Stories Situation Particular Victim Perpetrators

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“When a person disappears, everything becomes impregnated with that person's presence. Every single object as well as every space becomes a reminder of absence, as if absence were more important than presence.”

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Author:Doris Salcedo

“Political events are part of everyday life [in Colombia], so art and politics came to me as a natural thing, something that has been very much present in my life from the start.”

Has Beens Art Political Natural Events Everyday Everyday Life Colombia Natural Things

Author:Doris Salcedo

“There aren't really rules for painting, but there’s certain facts and fictions about painting. Part of what I do is document another surface and sort of translate it. They’re like translations, and then part of it is fiction, which is invention.”

Facts Certain Fiction Painting Surface Invention Translate Documents Translations Fact And Fiction

Author:Vija Celmins

“I believe there need to be women visual in our every day landscape, working hard and doing their own thing, whether you like it or not, whether it's acceptable or not...I especially hope to inspire young women because often I feel like so much emphasis is put on how beautiful you are, and how thin you are, and not a lot of emphasis is put on what you can do and how smart you are. I'd like to change that, change the emphasis of what's important when looking at a woman.”

Needs Feels Believe Important Hard Beautiful Young I Believe Can Do Inspire Smart Landscape Visuals Acceptable Young Women Emphasis You Like It What's Important Beautiful You

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“From a distance it might look straight, but when you get close up, you can always see the line waver. And I think that's where the beauty is.”

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Author:Margaret Kilgallen