“After I have [the inspiration], I make up my mind that I’m not going to interfere. Not having any ideas. That’s really the trouble with art today. It seems to me that artists have the inspiration, but before they can get it on the canvas, they’ve had about 50 ideas, and the inspiration disappears.” —Agnes Martin
Legendary minimalist painter Agnes Martin (b. 1912, Macklin, Canada; d. 2004, Taos, NM) often seemed to be equal parts exacting artist and high-desert mystic. In this interview, recorded in November 1997 in Taos, NM by filmmaker Chuck Smith and Sono Kuwayama, Martin does not disappoint. This should be required viewing for anyone who thinks they understand artistic inspiration.
We would also strongly encourage you to support the filmmakers by watching the full 20-minute version on Vimeo on-demand here.