agnes martin and ideas

Agnes Martin, Stars, 1963, 12x12 inches, ink and watercolor.

Agnes Martin (1912-2004) was a very interesting artist, in that she spent her life mostly by herself. Her art, in itself, is interesting because it is known to primarily comprise of painted, printed, and drawn grids--very beautiful ones. In a longer version of the video above, Martin says something about experimentation that is frustrating and revealing. I paraphrasing her: "Art was never made by experimentation, as if it were a science." She firmly believes that art comes from inspiration, that art can not be spoken about, only felt, and that ideas could only hinder the process of making.

I think something of her beliefs are actually lost in language once she phrased them. For instance, as most of her body of work comprises grids, one can say her whole career in a way dealt with an experimentation with the grid form. Martin would fervently deny such a statement... and she would be right. The unavoidable problem is in using language/words to frame the art process. I think Martin was able to achieve an empty mind-- and in that emptiness those grids glided gracefully, finding a space to occupy with dignity and beauty. It wouldn't have been possible if she thought, "Now I must create as many forms of the grid as possible."

Also, Martin's work does comprise other images than grids...

Agnes Martin, "Untitled" (2004). 
Ink on paper. 3 1/2" × 2 3/4".