All art is contemporary, if it's alive, and if it's not alive, what's the point of it?

I want life thrilling and rich. And it is. I make sure it is.

I have always believed that art should be a deep pleasure...ther e is always, everywhere, an enormous amount of suffering. But I believe my duty as an artist is to overcome and alleviate the sterility of despair...New ways of seeing mean new ways of feeling... I do believe that painting can change the world.

The picture itself is a document. How do you mean? We're looking at a document. It gives you clues.

It is very good advice to believe only what an artist does, rather than what he says about his work.

Most artists work all the time, they do actually, especially good artists, they work all the time, what else is there to do? I mean you do.

I actually think the deafness makes you see clearer. If you can't hear, you somehow see.