Jean-Michel Basquiat Quotes

I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.

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

I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.

Most Young Kings Get Their Heads Cut Off.

If you wanna talk about influence, man, then you've got to realize that influence is not influence. It's simply someone's idea going through my new mind.

Every single line means something.

I start a picture and I finish it. I don't think about art while I work. I try to think about life.

The more I paint the more I like everything.

Fire will attract more attention than any other cry for help.

The black person is the protagonist in most of my paintings. I realized that I didn't see many paintings with black people in them.

I like kids' work more than work by real artists any day.

I cross out words so you will see them more

I am not a black artist, I am an artist.

I was a really lousy artist as a kid. Too abstract expressionist; or I'd draw a big ram's head, really messy. I'd never win painting contests. I remember losing to a guy who did a perfect Spiderman.

SAMO as an end to to mindwash religion, nowhere politics and bogus philosophy.

I don't think about art when I'm working. I think about life.

The country makes me more paranoid, you know? I think the crazy people out there are little crazier.

There are about 30 words around you all the time, like 'thread' or 'exit.'

Believe it or not, I can actually draw.

I had some money, I made the best paintings ever. I was completely reclusive, worked a lot, took a lot of drugs. I was awful to people.

Since I was seventeen I thought I might be a star. I'd think about all my heroes, Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix... I had a romantic feeling about how these people became famous.

Occasionally, when I get mad at a woman, I'll do some great, awful painting about her.

My favorite Twombly is 'Apollo and the Artist,' with the big 'Apollo' written across it.

I wanted to build up a name for myself.

I have a painting where somebody's holding a chicken, and underneath the chicken is somebody's head.

If I'm away from painting for a week, I get bored.

I wanted to be a cartoonist when I was young.

I start a picture and I finish it.