“What do you think an artist is? …he is a political being, constantly aware of the heart breaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.” — Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) Femme à la montre 1932 oil on canvas 51 ⅛ by 38 ⅛ in. Sold: $139.4 million
“I have found that in accepting and immersing myself in subject matter I paint with more intensity and that the ‘hows’ of painting are more inevitably determined by the ‘whats’.” — David Park
David Park (1911-1960) Two Heads 1959 oil on canvas 24 x 26 in. Price realised USD 1,022,500
“I made something that I wanted to make and then people wanted it. That was always important to me because, when I was doing the Warhol stuff, I wondered, ‘Am I making something that I want to make, or because people want to buy?’ Now, I’m in the phase where I can make what I want to make.” — Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson, a.k.a. ThankYouX Meet Me in the Mystery 2019 Spray Paint, Oil, Acrylic on Canvas 36 × 60 in Price realized: $20,500
“Abstract means literally to draw from or separate. In this sense every artist is abstract for he must create his own work from his visual impressions. A realistic or non-objective approach makes no difference. The result is what counts.” — Richard Diebenkorn
Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) Ocean Park No.121 1980 oil on canvas 78¼ x 78 3/8 in. Price realised USD 7,698,500