In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light.
Hans HofmannRead
Color is a plastic means of creating intervals... color harmonics produced by special relationships, or tensions. We differentiate now between formal tensions and color tensions, just as we differentiate in music between counterpoint and harmony.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of color in art, likening its dynamics to musical relationships of harmony and tension.
Hans Hofmann's quote highlights the concept of color as a powerful tool in art, capable of creating dynamic relationships and emotional intervals. Just as musicians differentiate between counterpoint and harmony to create a resonant piece, artists utilize variations in color to evoke feelings and establish visual tension. The interplay of colors can lead to a more profound understanding and appreciation of the artwork, as they communicate emotions and relationships in a manner akin to musical composition.
Themes
ColorArtHarmonyMusicTension
In practice
Example use cases
An artist might use this quote during a workshop to explain the significance of color theory in painting.
More from Hans Hofmann
All quotes →The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
Hans HofmannRead
What goes on in abstract art is the proclaiming of aesthetic principles... It is in our own time that we have become aware of pure aesthetic considerations. Art never can be imitation.
Hans HofmannRead
The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color.
Hans HofmannRead
Colors must fit together as pieces in a puzzle or cogs in a wheel.
Hans HofmannRead
A work of art is a world in itself reflecting senses and emotions of the artist's world.
Hans HofmannRead
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