Quote in: a tape-recorded interview with Elaine de Kooning on August 27, 1981; conducted by Phyllis Tuchman, for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution: Oral Histories.
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Always when I look at anyone's art, I get flashes of the person. If I walk into a room and there's a painting by Joan Mitchell, I say, "There's Joannie." Or Grace, if it's Grace Hartigan. And to me all art is self-portraits.
— Elaine de Kooning
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Always when I look at anyone's art, I get flashes of the person. If I walk into a room and there's a painting by Joan Mitchell, I say, "There's Joannie." Or Grace, if it's Grace Hartigan. And to me all art is self-portraits." in the context of "Quote in: a tape-recorded interview with Elaine de Kooning on August 27, 1981; conducted by Phyllis Tuchman, for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution: Oral Histories." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Elaine de Kooning" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Elaine de Kooning
Elaine de Kooning (March 12, 1918 - February 1, 1989) was an Abstract Expressionist and American Figurative Expressionist woman-painter in the post-World War II era. She wrote extensively on the art of the period and was an editorial associate for Art News magazine. On December 9, 1943, she married painter Willem de Kooning.
About Elaine de Kooning
Elaine de Kooning (March 12, 1918 - February 1, 1989) was an Abstract Expressionist and American Figurative Expressionist woman-painter in the post-World War II era. She wrote extensively on the art of the period and was an editorial associate for Art News magazine. On December 9, 1943, she married painter Willem de Kooning.
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