Inspirtion, Waiting, and Struggle

The silence in the studio speaks of inspiration, waiting. 

It is not something to be forced, moulded, intellectualized, thought of as something that can be controlled.

The artist understands this, although there is always the struggle.

The struggle to bring it into the real, to be applauded, admired.  To be thought of as successful.

But this is the wrong struggle. 

Inspiration belongs only to you, born out of your sensitivities.  It cannot just be an arrangement of things.  When inspiration emerges in a work of art, the artist sees not what the inspiration is, but what it is that is not quite right, what part is not born of the inspiration.   And it is this struggle to perfect the inspiration that we focus on.  Why we are so often disappointed with our own art work.  Why we give up our inspirations and chase after the ideas of others.

And it is so sad. The art works that are lost.  That are never begun.

The above sentiments are a distillation and paraphrasing of a small fraction of the private essays, thoughts, and lectures of Agnes Martin, from the wonderful book Agnes Martin: Paintings, Writings, Remembrances, written by Arne  Glimcher and published by Phaidon.  I waited a long time to get this book and it was worth every dollar and every month. If you are interested in Agnes Martin, this book will help you reach back through time, to sit in the studio and have her say "I want to talk to you about the work..."

Comments

[sue smith]

Yes, Lori - the Portland Art Museum has one of her paintings - when you walk into that gallery there is such an impact. How lovely for you to have seen them in the location that she loved.

[Lori Landis]

Hi Sue, Agnes Martin's work really touched me. I was in Taos at the museum there. She had just finished hanging her art work in a special room and I just missed her by a few minutes. She was in her 90's and this was her last show. The room was all Agnes's work and it was serenely beautiful and so filled with joy. Seeing it in person gave courage.