There's something of a painting of a woman that represents all women - and by extension, all of humanity - that I just find very exciting. It's a nice distillation, I think, of what it means to be alive.

As an artist, it's possible to get tired of yourself.

In a gallery, there's an expectation of high prices and a somewhat elitist atmosphere.

There's something of a painting of a woman that represents all women - and by extension, all of humanity - that I just find very exciting. It's a nice distillation, I think, of what it means to be alive.

Failures in art usually lead to something else interesting.

Smells are so powerful and evocative, sometimes stronger than visual cues.

In terms of the class structure that you see so much in European portraiture, I don't think one feels that in America in the 21st century. But we have these other kinds of social structures now, like celebrity, who establish new hierarchies.