In the Artist’s Own Words – Quotes from Margaret Watkins
April 10, 2014
The response to the exhibition of Margaret Watkins’ photographs has been tremendous. As much as visitors love the art, many have mentioned that they are also moved by the words of the artist. Her quotes, drawn from Watkins’ diaries and archives, are posted throughout the gallery.
Here are some of them…
“Nothing is ever too commonplace or too useful to escape the sweet embellishment of art. Around the humble cookstove art runs in riotous cast iron curves, where may rest the savory spillings from many a too-exuberant soup kettle…”
– Margaret Watkins 1915
“[I was] born in Hamilton, Ontario, brought up on pictures and music…”
– Margaret Watkins c. 1923
“Weird and surprising things were put upon canvas; stark mechanical objects revealed an unguessed dignity; commonplace articles showed curves and angles which could be repeated with the varying pattern of a fugue.”
– Margaret Watkins c. 1926
“I am studying this wall. It is very beautiful when the light plays on it in certain ways. Some day I am going to take its picture.”
– Margaret Watkins c. 1924
“And there the sun set, or rather exploded… purple and crimson and gold trumpeting from peak to peak till they fairly reverberated with colour. (Somehow I always mix sight and sound and this was Wagner with full orchestra.)”
– Margaret Watkins c. 1928
“I miss the artist crowd most desperately. Collectively they may have every failing under the sun but in spite of their sins (or because of them) they have vision, a strange gleam, something worth striving after, something a bit beyond the end of their small human noses!”
– Margaret Watkins c. 1931
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