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 More Quotes by Jean-Michel Basquiat More Quotes From Jean-Michel Basquiat 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 critics art needs 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 crosses want facts Most Young Kings Get Their Heads Cut Off. Jean-Michel Basquiat cutting kings young Every single line means something. Jean-Michel Basquiat single-line lines mean 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 The more I paint the more I like everything. Jean-Michel Basquiat paint I like kids' work more than work by real artists any day. Jean-Michel Basquiat artist real kids Fire will attract more attention than any other cry for help. Jean-Michel Basquiat fire helping attention 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 painting black people I don't think about art when I'm working. I think about life. Jean-Michel Basquiat art thinking I am not a black artist, I am an artist. Jean-Michel Basquiat black artist I cross out words so you will see them more Jean-Michel Basquiat crosses 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 artist winning kids SAMO as an end to to mindwash religion, nowhere politics and bogus philosophy. Jean-Michel Basquiat ends philosophy Occasionally, when I get mad at a woman, I'll do some great, awful painting about her. Jean-Michel Basquiat painting mad awful 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 stars hero romantic There are about 30 words around you all the time, like 'thread' or 'exit.' Jean-Michel Basquiat thread exit 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 awful drug people The country makes me more paranoid, you know? I think the crazy people out there are little crazier. Jean-Michel Basquiat crazy country thinking Believe it or not, I can actually draw. Jean-Michel Basquiat inspiration believe art
