Charlie Haden

I have music inside me and I’m very lucky to be able to play music and that’s the way that I try to do it.

As long as musicians have passion for spontaneity and creating something that’s never been before, Jazz will flourish.

We’re here to bring beauty to the world and make a difference on this planet. That’s what art forms are about.

All art inspires me. Life inspires me. The art of life, thus my own art.

There’s no collection that has a better representation of post-war American art than David Geffen’s.

Surrealism had a great effect on me because then I realised that the imagery in my mind wasn’t insanity. Surrealism to me is reality.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

Life is tough and if you’re creative, it’s tougher.

I’m just an individual who doesn’t feel that I need to have somebody qualify my work in any particular way. I’m working for me.

I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived.

What’s any artist, but the dregs of his work? the human shambles that follows it around. What’s left of the man when the work’s done but a shambles of apology.

The truth is of course is that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time.

I cry out for order and find it only in art.

It’s like telling Michelangelo: ‘I know you painted this dope angel, that was really good, but Michelangelo, I don’t think you can paint a cow.’

Mother’s interest in contemporary American artists emerged during the 1920s.

Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.

Great art is never produced for its own sake. It is too difficult to be worth the effort.

It is unquestionably true that the need for art is not created by economic conditions. But neither is the need for food created by economics. On the contrary, the need for food and warmth creates economics.