All artists and creative people are basically unhappy people. If you were happy, that would mean you were content with the world as it was and why would you ever want to change it?

It's possible I am the only art critic that a lot of people read. And maybe Robert Hughes, if he's still writing.

Beauty is a physiological reaction. Beauty is not an object.

Artists are sometimes in a position to tell the truth, but they're positioned as a Cassandra. They're gifted with impeccable prophecy and the assurance of never being listened to.

Art is always subject to change in a moment by somebody who's strong enough to shed new light on it.

Everything I've learned about art was (a) because I was actually interested, or (b) I was actually interested in covering my ass because of what I was writing about.

With art criticism it's difficult to discuss beauty, to assess it, because there's always the possibility that we're insane.