Artists on Art and Personal Projects, by Giff Constable

Précis
Vincent Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands, son of a small town preacher. He began his working life employed by Groupil & Cie, an international art dealer, but then left to consider a career with the church as his religious zeal grew. In 1879, having grown disenchanted with both formal religious education and the [...]

Excerpted from “My Painting” in Possibilities I, Winter 1947-48 (source: Johnson)
My painting does not come from the easel. I hardly ever stretch my canvas before painting. I prefer to tack the unstretched canvas to the hard wall or the floor. I need the resistance of a hard surface. On the floor I am more at [...]

Excerpts from O’Keeffe Letters (source)
To Anita Pollitzer, 11 October 1915
“Still Anita — I don’t see why we ever think of what others think of what we do — no matter who they are — isn’t it enough just to express yourself–…”
To Anita Pollitzer, 20? October 1915
“Anita? What is Art — anyway?”
“When I think about how [...]

Editor’s note:
In the October 1999 issue of ARTnews, a multi-page advertisement published three speeches/interviews covering Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum’s views of ‘kitsch’. The reader can draw his/her own conclusions about whether the writings reveal more about Nerdrum’s opinions or his marketing strategy. Nerdrum is an intriguing character given the continual push-pull between representational/figurative art and [...]