Van Cliburn

An artist can only be evaluated after he’s dead. At the 11th hour he might do something that will eclipse everything else.

A museum has to renew its collection to be alive, but that does not mean we give on important old works.

Truth exists in art.

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

We’ll buy some drugs and watch a band and jump in a river holding hands.

I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived.

Playing with freedom can only come after a certain amount of foundational study.

She opened up a book of poems and handed it to me written by an Italian poet from the 13th century and every one of them words rang true and glowed like burning coal pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul from me to you.

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes.

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.

If you believe in your art and you love what you do, that energy will go out and people will respond.

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.

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.

Make the best of every moment. We’re not evolving. We’re not going anywhere.

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap.

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.