There is, literally and figuratively, not a gold standard. That's almost as big a problem in art as in the financial world. How do you affix a value to something that only has value because a certain number of people agree to believe in that value?

I think a lot of people take a scholarly approach where they feel like you're supposed to study things that depress you.

Culture is for old people. When you're young you have your body, and that's all you need.

It wasn't really until after I got out of art school that I realized that I'd been doing that sort of for the audience, for that context. Somehow, being alone in the room, it made no sense at all to make those kinds of paintings.

Painting is like being a lawyer and attacking a corporation.

When I went to college, and I went to art school, I started to realize that Warhol was cool and that pop art was fun.

That was an important development for me, just realizing that you need to follow your pleasure, at least as a painter. I think any kind of artist needs to, no matter what you're doing.