Janet Echelman Quotes & Sayings

“In Amsterdam, the river and canals have been central to city life for the last four centuries.”

“I believe that public space should be intentional: it should be obvious that you belong.”

“As a child, I always enjoyed building forts by stringing up bed sheets and clothes. I continue to be inspired by makeshift structures, including my own kids' forts and temporary architecture of all sorts.”

“Whether being battered by the surf or swimming through the gentle undulating surface of lakes, I find inspiration in the movement of water. Sometimes I think about the journey the water has traveled, reconnecting me to the larger cycles of nature.”

“You can't stumble upon something new and wonderful if you don't have time to stumble.”

“I pay two full-time assistants in my studio, plus consultants who are architects, engineers, and landscape architects, as well as lighting designers.”

“When ideas are young and vulnerable, criticism can be lethal.”

“I believe people can have a profound experience by being surrounded by something beautiful - that's what I aim for. My sculpture is about the way you feel when you're standing under it and inside it. It's experiential art.”

“In Portugal, my sculpture 'She Changes' refers to the town's fishing history, to the era of seafaring trade and discovery. The contemporary site is industrial, surrounded by red and white striped smokestacks, which is mirrored in the pattern of the sculpture.”

“I never studied sculpture, engineering or architecture. In fact, after college I applied to seven art schools and was rejected by all seven.”