The artist's imagination may wander far from nature. But as long as it is a living, moving power in his brain, isn't it just as real as any other natural phenomenon? The artist justifies his existence only when he can transform his imagination into truth.

In order to find reality, each must search for his own universe, look for the details that contribute to this reality7 that one feels under the surface of things. To be an artist means to search, to find and look at these realities. To be an artist means never to look away.

Art is a criticism of society and life, and I believe that if life became perfect, art would be meaningless and cease to exist.

Art, when it is forgetful of nature, degrades itself. Degraded art is, I feel, like the expressionless face of a lovely princess born of a noble family.

The artist is the only one who knows that the world is a subjective creation, that there is a choice to be made, a selection of elements.

To be a friend of the weak-that is the artist's point of departure as well as his ultimate goal.

A true artist is an ugly man.

Life and art are so inextricably interwoven that any change in life leads to a new movement in art.

The artist, even when he imitates nature, always feels himself to be not a slave but a demigod.

The worst thing that can happen to an artist is to be subsidized by the state. It leads to an intellectual and artistic castration.