[My parents] met in university back in the '70s. And I didn't grow up with my father. He - they separated before I was born.

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 billion stars above us coat the sky white. It would have been beautiful back home, but not here. Here it is the ever present reminder that we are all alone and insignificant.

Throughout my career nervousness and stage-fright have never left me before playing. And each of the thousands of concerts I have played at I feel as bad as I did the very first time.

Sometimes you can know too much. A lot of brainy people like Stephen Fry are quite depressive.

If I had to give up cheese or chocolate, I'd give up chocolate in a heartbeat.

Speaking of Satan, I was watching Rush Limbaugh the other day.

An enlightened person is someone who shifts from one plateau of knowledge to another.

You will never see my sons in parties. We keep to ourselves and try to do whatever we have to do.

Once Fang took pep pills and they worked - the only time he ever ran to bed.

The tyrant claims freedom to kill freedom, and yet keep it for himself.

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