Jean-Michel Basquiat

I'm not a follower.

I'm not a philosopher.

I'm not a poet.

I wanted to be a star, not a gallery mascot.

I wanted to be a cartoonist when I was a kid.

I don’t know how to describe my work. It’s like asking Miles Davis to describe his music.

I don’t read reviews. I measure success by how much fun I’m having.

I like to paint on the floor because I feel like a kid again.

I don’t paint to live, I live to paint.

I had a period where I thought I was like Charlie Parker or something.

I don’t think about color when I’m working. I think about feeling.

I wanted to be a baseball player when I was a kid.

I don’t look at my paintings. After I’m finished, I don’t want to see them.

I’m not a real painter. I don’t know how to paint.

I like to paint on big canvases because they make me feel important.

I don’t think about beauty when I’m working. I think about power.

I don’t know what my work is about. Maybe it’s about me.

I like to work fast because it keeps me from thinking too much.

I don’t believe in accidents. Everything has a meaning.

I don’t care about being understood. I care about being felt.