There's nothing shocking inherently about that, given that so much of the way that artists are taught is by copying old master paintings.

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.

In that moment? I knew you were sent to me, that I'd been given nothing from the people in my life, but I think from God, or whoever is in charge, I got you.

First we eat, then we do everything else.

Damaging the enemy financially is fair game.

The hero is valorous because he stands up to every threat directed against his values. Heroism requires value conflict.

Simple Plan's trademark is pretty easy. By the time the song ends, you can sing it. It doesn't take 20 listens. It's hard to write those songs but we try our best.

I think people like feeling miserable just as much as they like feeling happy.

In all private quarrels the duller nature is triumphant by reason of dullness.

When an artist becomes complacent, he dies.

The one place I've seen something really come together is in editing. Sometimes you can save pieces in a way that you're really shocked.

The perils of credit and debt, especially perilous in the computer age, have long been acknowledged in pop culture, but very infrequently by TV.