I studied shades, textures by painting after the Old Masters, the classical European paintings, as part of my educational process.

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.

Well, heaven forgive him! and forgive us all! Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall: Some run from brakes of ice, and answer none: And some condemned for a fault alone.

His hands are behind his back.'Choose, ' he says.'I've already made my choice, ' I say, and I grab the sleeve of his leather jacket and pull him inside.

Mindless fear is greater than mindful fear.

People wonder why you choose certain subjects to write about. The truth is: you don't really. They choose you

If God made us in his image we have certainly returned the compliment.

Sometimes our preoccupation is on having friends. Perhaps we should focus on being a friend.

They say a midget standing on a giant's shoulders can see much further than the giant. So I got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am.

Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage.

For the religious the holy is truth, for the philosophic the truth is holy.

It is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity and commitment to the common good.