A week ago I have received a little green book, called “Letters to a Young Artist”. It includes 23 letters written in response to a letter from a fictitious young artist struggling with the moral and practical implications of being an artist. I found it very inspirational. Here’s a list of some quotes that I distilled from all the letters:
If you want to be a person who can survive on your art, you must clarify what can be exchanged with society before society will repay you.
Xu Bing
Keep your studio clear from concerns of the marketplace. You might have to dance with the wolves but you can still keep them near the door.
Gregory Amenhoff
Stay in touch with your original motivation to become an artist – and be aware that it is always a process of becoming.
Elizabeth Murray
Always choose subjects that matter to you.
Kerry James Marshall
[...] art is made to explore the world and the culture, to explore the chosen medium, to explore one’s self [...] it is made to answer or try to answer questions. It is made for fun. In short, it is made in response to personal needs and demands.
Stephen Shore
Don’t go into art for fame or fortune. Do it because you cannot not do it. Being an artist is a combination of talent and obsession.
John Baldessari
Recognition, when it comes, sometimes can seem like a misunderstanding. The real life of the artist is solitary.
Thomas Nozkowski
Imagine if we were writers [...] How can I write in ways that contribute?
Jimmie Durham
Be aware of the system. Don’t be afraid to stand up and criticize it. Be inventive. Do some creative complaining! Calculate, embarrass, humiliate, when necessary.
Guerrila Girls
High art defines what we see. We see culturally. Seeing is a variable determined by that with which we are assaulted. A new vision and a new art should be the aspiration of high art.
Alex Katz
Commerce has always been part of human relations and public life. It is one system of communication among many.
Jessica Stockholder
Enjoy yoUR hateful dAy job. It is probAbly giving you ^much^ moRe thAn youR dReAmed of gAllery will eveR pRovide.
William Pope.L
Be upset if you are not happy with your work. Never be upset about how many people have seen it, or how many reviews it received.
Yoko Ono
The booklet is available from Art on Paper publications.
5 Comments
Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder’n bout this issue,so thanks for posting
How soon will you update your blog? I’m interested in reading some more information on this issue.
Good post! I plan to move into this stuff after I’m done with school, as most of it is time consuming. It’s a great post to reference back to. My blog needs more time to gain in popularity anyway.
Good question that – I will definitely have more time now. I was moving to Australia from Europe, hence the silence for the past month and a half
Very nice blog, your article is interesting, i have bookmarked it for future referrence