Art should create an experience.

There's actually a disdain for the conversation about audience in the art world. Artist to artist, if you say, "What do you think about audience?" they would probably say, "I don't think about audience, I only think about my work," yet the audience is such an important part.

Art should create an experience.

I don't think my work is so much about opening up wounds. I think it's about understanding the nature of the wound. I'm not bleeding on the canvas. I, like most people, have suffered traumatic events. The character of a person's life is determined by the way they deal with those events. I am a creative person and I deal with it creatively.

One of the things I love within music and within sports is how often musicians and athletes thank their audience. In the art world, you would never hear that.

Nudity is a problem for Americans. It disrupts our social exchange.

What experience has shown me is that it takes your life to become an artist.