My assistants generally do all the flowers and all of the decorative work. I concentrate on the figure.

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 guess art is in the eye of the beholder.

A dream is a kind of nocturnal drama to which the only price of admission is falling asleep.

The pathway to enlightenment, transformation and liberation is the heart not the mind.

Russian humor is to adapt or make some sense or nonsense out of the insanity of their lives.

I model my life after my Lord and Master Jesus Christ and his life. He has called me into God's family and I am a representative for him so I just try to be obedient to what He asks me to do.

You need to know exactly where you stand in a business at all times. Measure everything, because everything that is measured and watched improves.

To be mindfully engaged is the most natural, creative state we can be in.

The truly wise are content to be last. They are, therefore, first. They are indifferent to themselves. They are, therefore self-confident.

There is pleasure in calm remembrance of a past sorrow.

There came a day when the clouds drifting along with the wind aroused a wanderlust in me, and I set off on a journey to roam along the seashores

The ordinary bloke will not voluntarily pay for "art" that leaves him unmoved--if he does pay for it, the money has to be conned out of him, by taxes and such.