Mel [Bochner] sets a very high standard. He expects only the best and most thoughtful and rigorous examinations, not only of the history of art but your own practice.

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.

The outward manifestation of greatness is that we excite devotion and love in our work.

Be humble to those who praise you.Be pleasant to those who honor you.Be kind to those who cherish you.Be good to those who love you.Be generous to those who adore you.

Love, not balance, brings enlightenment

Fame always brings loneliness. Success is as ice cold and lonely as the North Pole.

The day, water, sun, moon, night - I do not have to purchase these things with money.

It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children

I could probably throw harder if I wanted, but why? When they're in a jam, a lot of pitchers...try to throw harder. Me, I try to locate better.

He is still in control. He still has you in the palm of His hand.

Everything thing we're doing is coming out of the living Word of God.

But then, you know, I'm very happy, I've got to this stage in my life and I'm not dead. I haven't got married and divorced and done all that palimony business, you know all that mess.