Beatrice Wood

Overview

Beatrice Wood born San Francisco, CA March 3, 1893 (d. 1998). “Mama of Dada.” American avant-garde artist and potter; theosophist.

Quotations

“A man from Mars would see that most of our economy goes to killing each other. That's why I think it's wonderful that so many people are going into the arts, and trying to make things of beauty instead of bombs to kill people they haven't met." (interview with Edward Sozanski, Nov. 1, 1987, Philly.com)

“[F]or me, that’s a secret of living. . . And that is: Violence never ends with violence. I’ve been in three critical situations where being non-violent I probably saved my life. I can’t prove it, but I say probably. . . I just see life. And take even war, each war has the seeds of a greater war. War seems never really to have brought peace. It just brought more and more war. But then I admit I’m anti-war, so what I say may not be logical.” (Paul Karlstrom interview, March 2, 1992, Archives of American Art)