One must always paint in opposition to nature, and to one's own 'mood'. To let oneself go is a weakness, a sort of hysterics. If you are full of red, choose a green or a blue; if you feel like yellow, choose grey or black. In this continuous opposition lies the entire secret of plastic creation... To create a great work of art demands self-mortification. (Theo van Doesburg)

One must always paint in opposition to nature, and to one's own 'mood'. To let oneself go is a weakness, a sort of hysterics. If you are full of red, choose a green or a blue; if you feel like yellow, choose grey or black. In this continuous opposition lies the entire secret of plastic creation... To create a great work of art demands self-mortification.

Theo van Doesburg

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art black blue choose creation entire full great green grey hysterics mood nature opposition paint plastic red secret sort weakness work yellow lies self-mortification

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