I guess art is in the eye of the beholder.

I think there's something important in going against the grain, and perhaps finding value in things that aren't necessarily institutionally recognized.

This is something that, as artists, we constantly deal with-throwing away the past, slaying the father, and creating the new. This desire to throw away the old rules.

The backgrounds by design are a very key part of the conversation, because I want a kind of fight or pressure to exist between the figure and the background.

All art is self-portraiture.

Painting is situational. And my particular situation exists within gender, race, class, sexuality, nation.

I believe that artists should be part of the culture. I think that my work clearly bears that out.

The art world has become so insular. The rules have become so autodidactic that, in a sense, they lose track of what people have any interest in thinking about, talking about or even looking at.

We have a lot of sort of received historical ways of viewing portraiture. And I suppose in some way I'm sort of questioning that by toying with the rules of the game.

We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's just sort of in our DNA. And so portraiture is a very human act.

I think that's kind of indicative of a type of self-confidence that people develop when they recognize their own ability to create.

To be wise for one day is better than to be intelligent for a hundred.

Yeah…hey, you have a male here.” Shay walked toward the hall, sniffing the air. “And he’s human. Way to go, Dani!

One thing was certain: he was my one. Most people go on their whole lives and never find their one, but I found mine. I found him when I was twelve-years-old.

To see things simply is the hardest thing in the world.

This conducting thing happened. In 1983 I was sucked into this international career, which was a very scary experience.

I think the movie business is in trouble. It's all movies that you've seen before. Everything's a remake; they want things that are familiar rather than things that surprise you.

Each moment of every day is new and then it vanishes. Where is that day? Where is that moment?

I say stick with Mother Nature as much as possible.

Despair is suffering without meaning.

Paul created a theology of which none but the vaguest warrants can be found in the words of Christ.