"I never know what it's going to look like. Wouldn't be much point in painting if I already knew the outcome. I have a subject in front of me and I start flooding colour and making marks, I don't know, it's improvisation isn't it?"
About this Quote
"Flooding colour" is telling. Floods ignore neat borders; they stain, seep, and surprise. Wright is defending excess and accident against the tidy expectations that often follow celebrity artists, who are pressured to produce a recognizable brand on demand. By emphasizing "marks" - not masterpieces, not statements - he shifts attention to process and physicality. The subject "in front of me" matters, but not as a fixed blueprint; its a starting signal. Observation meets impulse, and what results is negotiated in real time.
The subtext is also a subtle critique of control: critics and audiences like to believe art is premeditated genius because that makes it easier to explain, price, and collect. Wright pushes back with the logic of improvisation: the value is in responsiveness. He invites us to see painting as an event, not an object - something that happens to the artist as much as it comes from him.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Wright, Peter. (2026, January 15). I never know what it's going to look like. Wouldn't be much point in painting if I already knew the outcome. I have a subject in front of me and I start flooding colour and making marks, I don't know, it's improvisation isn't it? FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-know-what-its-going-to-look-like-wouldnt-71692/
Chicago Style
Wright, Peter. "I never know what it's going to look like. Wouldn't be much point in painting if I already knew the outcome. I have a subject in front of me and I start flooding colour and making marks, I don't know, it's improvisation isn't it?" FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-know-what-its-going-to-look-like-wouldnt-71692/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I never know what it's going to look like. Wouldn't be much point in painting if I already knew the outcome. I have a subject in front of me and I start flooding colour and making marks, I don't know, it's improvisation isn't it?" FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-never-know-what-its-going-to-look-like-wouldnt-71692/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.





