CreativeProcess
776106724756258816

“If I saw the art around me that I liked, then I wouldn’t do art.”
John Baldessari
Inflatable Women/Divers/Baby
1988
Black and white photographs, oil tint, and vinyl paint
91 x 72½ in.
Price realised
USD 314,500
775482691897491456

“I’d always wanted to know the difference between a mark that was art and one that wasn’t.” — Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Kiss III
1962
Magna on canvas
64 x 48 in.
Price realised
USD 31,135,000
774669193720233984

“Where there is no shadow, there is no light.”
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)
The Taking of Christ
1602
oil on canvas
133.5 cm × 169.5 cm (52.6 in × 66.7 in)
National Gallery of Ireland
774569373689167873

“I blur things to make everything equally important and equally unimportant. I blur things so that they do not look artistic or craftsmanlike but technological, smooth and perfect. I blur things to make all the parts a closer fit. Perhaps I also blur out the excess of unimportant information.”
Gerhard Richter (b. 1932)
Zwei Liebespaare
signed, titled and dated ’“Zwei Liebespaare” Richter 66’ (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
45¼ x 63in. (115 x 160cm.)
Painted in 1966
Price realised
GBP 7,300,500
774567246070726656
Paintings from thrift stores.
774552857832816640

“You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim or diminish your light … Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won.” — John Lewis
John Lewis
2020
Watercolor on paper
12 x 9 in
Price: Not for Sale
774444327568113664
Many artists do start with realism because it helps build foundational skills like observation, proportion, and technique. Over time, some move toward abstraction as they become more interested in expressing ideas, emotions, or experimenting with form and color beyond literal representation.
However, not all artists follow this trajectory. Some dive straight into abstraction, while others stick with realism their entire lives. It really depends on the artist’s interests, influences, and creative journey.