Art works because it appeals to certain faculties of the mind. Music depends on details of the auditory system painting and sculpture on the visual system. Poetry and literature depend on language.

Painting is silent poetry and poetry is painting that speaks.

Unfortunately after Sept. 11 there was an outburst in America of intense suffering and patriotism and the Bush administration was very shrewd and effective in painting anyone who disagreed with the policies as unpatriotic or even traitorous.

Painting will have to deal more fully and less obliquely with life and nature's phenomena before it can again become great.

My aim in painting has always been the most exact transcription possible of my most intimate impression of nature.

Painting from nature is not copying the object it is realizing one's sensations.

Writing has laws of perspective of light and shade just as painting does or music. If you are born knowing them fine. If not learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.

My horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems seeing a painting listening to some music some opera which has nothing at all to do with a volatile human condition or struggle or whatever. It enriches me as a human being.

There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured such as poetry music painting public speaking.

Once music ceases to be ephemeral - always disappearing - and becomes instead material... it leaves the condition of traditional music and enters the condition of painting. It becomes a painting existing as material in space not immaterial in time.

That's why people listen to music or look at paintings. To get in touch with that wholeness.

I don't like painting flowers in my music. I like painting guts and pain.

I started playing piano when I was 6. And I knew that wanted to be involved in that form of expression whether it was through music or acting or dancing or painting or writing.

I felt I really wanted to back off from music completely and just work within the visual arts in some way. I started painting quite passionately at that time.

Poetry fettered fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry painting and music are destroyed or flourish.

You can't work in the movies. Movies are all about lighting. Very few filmmakers will concentrate on the story. You get very little rehearsal time so anything you do onscreen is a kind of speed painting.

Sometimes I miss out the morning's painting session and instead study my Japanese books in the open.