William Baziotes (1912-1963)

"My whole intention in painting is to make a thing poetical; but not poetical in a literary sense. I want something that evokes mood, a background, a stage set for certain characters that are playing certain parts. When I paint, I do not consider myself an abstractionist in the sense that I'm trying to create beautiful forms that fit together like a puzzle. The things in my paintings are intended to strike something that is an emotional involvement--that has to do with the human personality and all the mysteries of life, not simply colors or abstract balances. To me, it's all reality"
(William Baziotes as quoted in P. Franks and M. White, eds., "An Interview with William Baziotes", Perspective no. 2, Hunter College, n.d. (circa 1956-1957), pp. 27, 29-30).