“In my view, one’s strengths are incredibly important. That’s where people should go, not to their weaknesses, not to the things they have the greatest difficulties with unless, for some reason, they must.”
I believe my contribution is in the realm of innovative design and idiosyncratic skill. I understand how to be effective in process; I understand the impression that is on its way and how to avert potential compromise.
“An artist makes art, and he demands the credentials of art. He’s investigated art, and he knows what art is. It’s not anatomy; it’s not proportions; it’s not brilliant execution; it’s not photographic likeness; it’s not journalism; it’s not individual pain. It is opening up the elements that make those pieces of art perpetually fresh, timeless.” —Knox Martin
What factors make a painting worthy of the term “great”? A video presentation by painters David A. Leffel and Sherrie McGraw about “abstract realism.”
“I studied with Alex Katz, who I found totally intriguing as a person. I didn’t understand half of what he was saying, but I followed him around, because when he did say something, it was right on, and he had a great way of describing art history.” —painter Susan Shatter
“Everybody, every human being, every squirrel and every elephant needs to create. We’re not going to stop anybody from creating. One of the great things about the Art Students League is that people can come and create. Creating is healing. But not everybody is a great artist.” —Audrey Flack
“I had a huge anger within me. I just didn’t like the world. I didn’t like anyone.” —Robert Kipniss
“There is a pleasure principle in all art, OK? For me that must include something else which is incredibly important, which is what I talked about before—that human element.” —Burton Silverman
Ira Goldberg: You mentioned to me that you attended Robert Beverly Hale’s anatomy lectures. What year was that? Paul Resika: It was when I came back from Europe in 1954. It was much too late for me to be learning anatomy. How long were you in Europe? I was in Paris in 1950. Around Christmas time…
I wanted to be a good artist, but I wanted to define what that meant.