If you see the world as beautiful, thrilling and mysterious, as I think I do, then you feel quite alive.

I can get excitement watching rain on a puddle. And then I paint it. Now, I admit, there are not too many people who would find that exciting. But I would. And I want life thrilling and rich. And it is. I make sure it is.

It's time to debate images, especially when someone's going to prison for downloading them.

In fact, most artists want to make things a bit more difficult for themselves as they go along, to challenge themselves.

I'm rather shocked by what I thought was simple mindedness actually. I thought they're not looking, they're not actually looking.

I don't value prizes of any sort.

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.