I think it's possible to allow an artist to go beyond his borders and play.

For me, I wanted to create something that's much more driven by a type of selfishness, a type of decadence.

I believe that artists should be part of the culture. I think that my work clearly bears that out.

I pay my models to work with me, so there becomes this weird sort of economic bartering thing, which made me feel really sort of uncomfortable, almost as though you were buying into a situation - which, again, is another way of looking at those paintings. The body language in those paintings is a lot more stiff.

While I can hire out the portrait, I don't, because it's just - that's where I shine. You know, that's my blood sport.

What's great about it is that painting doesn't move. And so in the 21st century, when we're used to clicking and browsing and having constant choice, painting simply sits there silently and begs you to notice the smallest of detail.

What we have now is a communication ability. We have the ability to see working ideas that are going on in the great cities throughout the world and whether you live in Shanghai or you live in Sao Paulo, you have the ability of seeing and knowing the ideas of some of the greatest minds of our generation.