Art is... a question mark in the minds of those who want to know what's happening.

Art is... a question mark in the minds of those who want to know what's happening.

The artist is the opposite of the politically minded individual, the opposite of the reformer, the opposite of the idealist.

The artist is the opposite of the politically minded individual, the opposite of the reformer, the opposite of the idealist.

The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.

The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.

Anyone who says you can't see a thought simply doesn't know art.

Anyone who says you can't see a thought simply doesn't know art.

In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith read more

In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.

The defining function of the artist is to cherish consciousness.

The defining function of the artist is to cherish consciousness.

Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal.

Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal.

Art distills sensations and embodies it with enhanced meaning.

Art distills sensations and embodies it with enhanced meaning.

I remember being handed a score composed by Mozart at the age of eleven. What could I say? I felt read more

I remember being handed a score composed by Mozart at the age of eleven. What could I say? I felt like de Kooning, who was asked to comment on a certain abstract painting, and answered in the negative. He was then told it was the work of a celebrated monkey. 'That's different. For a monkey, it's terrific.' - "London Magazine", March, 1967.