Asked what role he believes art plays in society, Baselitz replied, 'The same role as a good shoe, nothing more.

The artist is not responsible to any one. His social role is asocial... his only responsibility consists in an attitude to the work he does.

What counts most is finding new ways to get the world down in paint on my own terms.

I begin with an idea, but as I work, the picture takes over. Then there is the struggle between the idea I preconceived... and the picture that fights for its own life.

Women don't paint very well. It's a fact. There are, of course, exceptions. Agnes Martin or, from the past, Paula Modersohn-Becker.

An object painted upside down is suitable for painting because it is unsuitable as an object.

I had always loved expressionist painting, like every European. In fact I admired it all the more because these were precisely the paintings despised by my father's generation.

Art is visceral and vulgar - it's an eruption.

I hang my work upside down to emphasize surface.

The reality is the picture, it is most certainly not in the picture.

What I could never escape was Germany, and being German.

Make the Bible part of your daily life, and ask God to engrave its truths on your soul.

As a devil's advocate Mr Neville was faultless. And yet, she knew, there was a flaw in his reasoning, just as there was a flaw in his ability to feel.

Both of my parents have great senses of humor.

You can only lead if the people that you're leading want to be led.

It was really wonderful playing with Aretha [ Franklin]. I knew that she knew what she was doing, so all I had to do was sit in the background and vamp a little bit.

It's always a dream to be on the cover, it's one of the things an athlete always aspires to do, to be on the cover of a videogame, but I never thought I would get to do it this quick.

Humans are the absolute worst thing to happen to this planet.

The joys of love...last only a moment. The sorrows of love last all the life long.

Whenever I get a chance to work in a different language, or in a different accent, or anything like that, I'm game. I think it's a great challenge and something to be done.

So are you to my thoughts as food to life, or as sweet seasoned showers are to the ground.