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.

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.

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.

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

The more you take responsibility for your attitudes, the more you can adjust yourself in a forward thinking manner.

Was it all put into words, or did both understand that they had the same thing at heart and in their minds, so that there was no need to speak of it aloud, and better not to speak of it?

Perhaps we have been guilty of some terminological inexactitudes.

For me, acting is play. It's just play and it's playing make believe really, really well.

In England you have a good phrase. It is 'to bring the game into disrepute.

When I see Almunia's performances, I get angry and have to make a fist in my pocket

Never take a picture of anything you are not passionately interested in.

India has an unbroken tradition of nonviolence from times immemorial.

Gandhi, who went to Wendy's and asked, "Where's the belief?" Never got a dinner!

He runs a very tightly knit ship