I've never made a movie to make money. I've never made a painting to make money.

I don't think people are terribly interested in young artists who were doing interesting thing, but I don't think people are terribly interested in young artists.

When I made my first film, Basquiat, I think one of the criticisms was that the way I work is episodic. Later, as people started to look at the movies, they started to realize that maybe that's my style. If I could do it better or another way, I guess I would.

I think style is a fringe benefit that looks like you made it.

If I hung one of my paintings next to someone else's, I knew mine would kind of pop off the wall.

What's interesting about making art is that you take everything you know about it and you bring it up to that point, and you start making a physical thing that addresses what that is. And when you do it, you don't know anything about it - if it's going to work or not work.

I think basically I'm a painter, but I would use anything to make my point.