You can see in my paintings, I've taken away the context, I've taken away the shadows, I've taken away expression, I've taken away the personal, and yet so much remains! Michael Craig-Martin More Quotes by Michael Craig-Martin More Quotes From Michael Craig-Martin I have never understood, for instance, why some people see contemporary art as divided between 'painting' and 'conceptual art', as though this represented a genuine division. Michael Craig-Martin division people art My idea for every exhibition is we should be able to see every individual work without being distracted by the others, and it doesn't matter if it's quite crowded. Michael Craig-Martin exhibitions matter ideas The viewer brings all additional information to the image. Michael Craig-Martin viewers information My great grandmother was Chinese . Michael Craig-Martin great-grandmother chinese grandmother I do think I paid a price as an artist, and I am trying to make up for it now - I work six days a week in the studio, and I've never been happier. Michael Craig-Martin artist trying thinking Today, in British education, we don't have that kind of freedom. Now there are many regulations, many rules, and bureaucracies in the education system. So, it doesn't have the flexibility that it had in the '60s, '70s, '80s. Michael Craig-Martin regulation kind today I am personally happy for artists to make as much money as they can while they can to carry them through the times when they can't. Michael Craig-Martin artist When I was a very young student I loved and admired the work of Sam Beckett, who is famously pessimistic, and whose writing is an extraordinary examination of emptiness. I wanted to be like Beckett. I don't have the same attitude toward the world, I'm naturally optimistic, and so of course I could never be like Beckett. You can't force yourself to become like someone you admire. Michael Craig-Martin optimistic writing attitude The first exhibition that I used bright colours in painting the room was at a gallery in Paris, and there were seven rooms in the gallery. It was very nice gallery, not very big rooms, around the courtyard, it was a very French space. So I painted each room in different colour. When people came to the exhibition, I saw they came with a smile. Everybody smiles - this is something I never saw in my work before. Michael Craig-Martin paris nice space It's just that some things more important for this and less important for that, and this is true regardless the style of the art. Michael Craig-Martin style important art In the period of '60s to the '90s, British art schools were small, and the number of student was small. The personal contact was great. Michael Craig-Martin numbers art school When I go to China I see many artists whose work reflects on aspects of contemporary popular culture but obviously the history of Western art is not part of their own tradition. Michael Craig-Martin tradition culture art I think from an artist's point of view, everything in art, in fact everything in the world is available as material. Michael Craig-Martin views art thinking If I did not love the things that I do, how could I spend my life doing this? You have to invest what you spend your life doing with pleasure. Michael Craig-Martin pleasure ifs It is very important to develop the thing that you are naturally good at, that you are truly interested in. Michael Craig-Martin important Usually people start with painting and then go on to make installations; my painting came from installation. Michael Craig-Martin painting goes-on people In Britain the power of authority was weakened. There was much more individual freedom and there was great academic freedom. Michael Craig-Martin academic-freedom individual authority The person you admire was true to himself. You can only truly honour him by being true to yourself. Michael Craig-Martin being-true be-true-to-yourself admire I was poorer than anyone I'd ever met. But it was a great time to be a young artist - I remember it as a period of exceptional creative freedom and adventure, when one was regularly presented with works of art unlike anything one had ever seen before. Michael Craig-Martin creative adventure art There is a complete difference between art and the art market. Prices are high now for the simple reason that there are people are willing to pay them. The market dominates the art world today because at the moment collectors call the shots. Like everything else that won't last forever. Michael Craig-Martin differences simple art
