Agnes Martin Biography

Agnes Martin, Artist
Born asAgnes Bernice Martin
Occup.Artist
FromCanada
BornMarch 22, 1912
Macklin, Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedDecember 16, 2004
Taos, New Mexico, United States
Aged92 years
Early Life
Agnes Bernice Martin was born in Macklin, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1912. She grew up in a provincial farming neighborhood with her 3 siblings, where her parents instilled a strong work principles and a love of nature in their children. In 1932, Martin transferred to the United States, ending up being a citizen in 1950.

Education and Early Career
In the early 1930s, Martin went to the Western Washington State College, where she studied to become a schoolteacher. In 1941, she chose to pursue art and registered at the University of New Mexico to get her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Later on, Martin went on to acquire her Master of Arts degree from the Eastern Washington College.

After finishing her research studies in the early 1950s, she transferred to New York City, where she picked abstraction as her main creative genre and signed up with the circle of painters connected with Abstract Expressionism. During her remain in New York, Martin experienced many prominent artists such as Robert Indiana, Ellsworth Kelly, and Jack Youngerman, whose assistance allowed her to develop her special creative approach.

Creative Style and Development
Initially, Martin's work included biomorphic shapes and signs, however she slowly moved towards a more distilled type of abstraction. Her design developed substantially from the 1960s onwards, and she eventually turned into one of the most crucial artists in the field of Minimalist Abstraction.

Martin's design is defined by a delicate balance of simpleness and a deep sense of spirituality, as she thought that art was a form of meditation and a method to interact feelings that could not be expressed through language. By using colors, lines, and subtle geometric kinds, her work evokes a tranquil and harmonious environment on canvas.

Major Exhibitions and Recognition
Agnes Martin's work has actually been featured in many exhibitions, both during her life time and posthumously. She held her first solo exhibit in 1958 at the prestigious Betty Parsons Gallery and has actually given that ended up being a significant figure in the world of contemporary art. In 1972, her work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale, and in 1991, she was awarded the prominent Golden Lion at the exact same event.

In between 1992 and 1993, a retrospective exhibition of her work was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, acclaiming her status as a significant American artist. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York held a retrospective of her work in 2016, simply over a years after her death.

Agnes Martin's work is also displayed in lots of renowned organizations, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Late life and Legacy
In the late 1960s, Agnes Martin sought solitude and moved from New York to New Mexico, where she developed herself a little house and studio. She continued to produce art in this remote area, exploring themes connected to the spirituality of nature and the world around her. Martin passed away in 2004 at the age of 92, having left an enduring mark on the world of abstract art.

Agnes Martin's minimalistic method to abstraction has considerably affected later on generations of artists, consisting of the similarity Mary Heilmann, Brice Marden, and Robert Ryman. While her work is typically categorized as Minimalist, it brings a psychological quality that goes beyond standard borders, leaving a lasting effect on the audience and asserting her location among the most important artists of the 20th century.

Our collection contains 6 quotes who is written / told by Agnes.

Related authors: Robert Indiana (Artist), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Juliette Binoche (Actress)

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6 Famous quotes by Agnes Martin

Small: When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the
"When I think of art I think of beauty. Beauty is the mystery of life. It is not in the eye it is in the mind. In our minds there is awareness of perfection"
Small: Happiness is being on the beam with life - to feel the pull of life
"Happiness is being on the beam with life - to feel the pull of life"
Small: Art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings
"Art is the concrete representation of our most subtle feelings"
Small: To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like. Give up doing the things that you do n
"To progress in life you must give up the things you do not like. Give up doing the things that you do not like to do. You must find the things that you do like. The things that are acceptable to your mind"
Small: My paintings are not about what is seen. They are about what is known forever in the mind
"My paintings are not about what is seen. They are about what is known forever in the mind"
Small: Any material may be used but the theme is the same and the response is the same for all artwork...
"Any material may be used but the theme is the same and the response is the same for all artwork... we all have the same concern, but the artist must know exactly what the experience is. He must pursue the truth relentlessly"