I Can Be Fearlessly Strong At Times

I Didn't Have Any Interest In Traditional Art.

I'd Never Even Thought About Compromise When I Worked In My Studio. The Major Distinction Is In The Priority Of Who I Ultimately Wanted To Please: Myself Or The Audience.

So Many Things Suddenly Made Sense For The Clowns, For The Whole Idea. I’d Been Going Through A Struggle, Particularly After 9/11; I Couldn’t Figure Out What I Wanted To Say. I Still Wanted The Work To Be The Same Kind Of Mixture – Intense, With A Nasty Side Or An Ugly Side, But Also With A Real Pathos About The Characters – And Clowns Have An Underlying Sense Of Sadness While They’re Trying To Cheer People Up. Clowns Are Sad, But They’re Also Psychotically, Hysterically Happy.

Everyone Thinks These Are Self-portraits But They Aren't Meant To Be. I Just Use Myself As A Model Because I Know I Can Push Myself To Extremes, Make Each Shot As Ugly Or Goofy Or Silly As Possible.

People Are Always Trying To Find The Next Groovy Thing, And It Hasn't Gone Back To Painting... I'd Like It To Go Back To Painting. I'm Sick Of All This Photography And Video. There's So Much Of It, It's Almost Annoying.