Jean-Michel Basquiat Quotes

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Art, Thinking

  33 Copy quote

• Every single line means something.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Mean, Lines, Single Line

  62 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Want, Facts, Crosses

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  97 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Life, Art, Thinking

  59 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Art, Needs, Critics

  81 Copy quote

• 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.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Men, Ideas, Mind

  64 Copy quote

• 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.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  People, Black, Painting

  45 Copy quote

• Most Young Kings Get Their Heads Cut Off.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Kings, Cutting, Young

  Graeme Murray, Jean Michel Basquiat, Fruit Market Gallery (1984). “Poiesis: aspects of contemporary poetic activity”, Distributed Art Pub Inc

  65 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Artist, Black

  39 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Fire, Attention, Helping

  Jean-Michel Basquiat, Civico museo Revoltella (1999). “Basquiat”, Walker Art Center

  49 Copy quote

• The more I paint the more I like everything.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Paint

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  55 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Real, Kids, Artist

  42 Copy quote

• I cross out words so you will see them more

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Crosses

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  41 Copy quote

• Believe it or not, I can actually draw.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Art, Believe, Inspiration

  32 Copy quote

• 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.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Kids, Artist, Winning

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  36 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Stars, Fame, Gallery

  Jean-Michel Basquiat, Civico museo Revoltella (1999). “Basquiat”, Walker Art Center

  89 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Philosophy, Ends

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  35 Copy quote

• I start a picture and I finish it.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  6 Copy quote

• 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.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Romantic, Stars, Hero

  30 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Exit, Thread

  32 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Country, Crazy, Thinking

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  32 Copy quote

• I wanted to build up a name for myself.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Names, Wanted

  Jean Michel Basquiat, Rudy Chiappini (2005). “Basquiat”, Museo D'Arte Moderna Citta Di Lugano

  19 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Mad, Awful, Painting

  Jean-Michel Basquiat, Civico museo Revoltella (1999). “Basquiat”, Walker Art Center

  25 Copy quote

• 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.

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  People, Drug, Awful

  31 Copy quote

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

  Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Painting, Chickens

  Jean-Michel Basquiat, Civico museo Revoltella (1999). “Basquiat”, Walker Art Center

  13 Copy quote

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