David LaChapelle Quotes

My work is about making candy for the eyes. It's about grabbing your attention. Even though my work is appearing in magazines I am trying to make a large picture. I want my photographs to read like a poster.

The aim of the painting is that the eye should find out what it likes.

I will always come with something that's aesthetically pleasing.

Alejandro Colucci has designed covers for my books that stand out, that catch the eye, and that make me, as a reader and consumer, want to know more about the books behind those covers.

The body is to be compared, not to a physical object, but rather to a work of art.

"You're next, after the feather dancers." And you had to get their attention, because otherwise people would go, "Oh, a poet." You really have to learn.

The first virtue of a painting is to be a feast for the eyes.

Artists make their work to be seen by others. Well, really we do it to please ourselves, but whatever your art is, you want it to be seen by an audience. In theory, especially in the independent world, ironically, you do stand a chance of making a bit of money if the film gets distribution.

Form is sometimes considered a mere spice added by the artist to the representation of objects in order to make it pleasurable.

Making books has always felt very connected to my bookselling experience, that of wanting to draw people's attention to things that I liked, to shape things that I liked into new shapes.

Even if you're a poet sitting in your room writing a poem, you're still in the world - although I guess being a poet is a different than having to deal with 40 or 50 people to raise a couple million bucks and all that bullshit.

Pay no attention to the criticism of men who have never themselves written a notable work.

The Biblical story of the creation is an excellent parable of movement. The work of art, too, is above all a process of creation, it is never experienced as a mere product.

The main thing that excites me and makes me want to get out of bed is the thought of being able to go into my studio to work on music.

The goal of life is rapture. Art is the way we experience it.

I was an artist, but not a self-proclaimed great artist, just a common man who was working in a form of art which is universal.

You don't write for success. That takes part of your attention away from the writing. If you're really doing it, that's all you're doing: writing.

You do this because you like it, you think what you're making is beautiful. And if you think it's beautiful, maybe they think it's beautiful.

I firmly believe in the value of books: it's the way to pass on our work, and it allows us to explore new ways to express our creativity. In this specific case, Mariano Vivanco shot some images of David for this project's purpose.

I like sitting in the dark and watching people far more talented than I'll ever be sing my songs and say my words. It's thrilling.

To me, beauty appears when one feels deeply, and art is an act of total attention.

Art must not be intelligent; art is a jouisance, an enjoyment

Art is right reason in the doing of work.

My life is like a music-hall,Where, in the impotence of rage,Chained by enchantment to my stall,I see myself upon the stageDance to amuse a music-hall.

Paint is a very sensual material. It's lovely to work with and lovely to look at.