Chuck Close Quotes

I decided to become a painter when my first four paintings where all published and attracted a great deal of interest. I exhibited one of them and it was sold.

When I started painting 17 years ago, I never imagined that anyone would look at my work or buy my pieces. But now I do about 14 exhibitions each year.

Somebody said us artists have trouble with success because art is derived from struggle. I disagree with that, because truely doing your art is success, whether you make money from it or not.

It's great, I guess, when your paintings are hanging up in a museum.

People think I'm clever, which is hilarious. I'm like, 'When did this happen? People used to think I couldn't string a sentence together.'

I think everyone, including myself, was pretty surprised the first Freedom goal came from me. So when I think about that goal, all I can really do is laugh at the incredibility of it.

Now almost every artist outside of New York is connected with some school or some museum school, and even in New York the majority are. That's an interesting fact when you take the idea of making money, making a living selling paintings. Only a dozen or two painters do that.

I have written a book. This will come as quite a shock to some. They didn't think I could read, much less write.

Not to say people shouldn't get rich from art. I adore the alchemy wherein artists who cast a complex spell make rich people give them their money. (Just writing it makes me cackle.) But too many artists have been making money without magic.

It's really ironic that I won, because that's not the goal that I had in mind when I went out to skate.

A funny thing happened on the way to the election - I got to the Senate first.

People don't expect me to be as funny as I am.

I would do 'John Carter' again tomorrow. I'm very proud of 'John Carter.' Box office doesn't validate me as a person, or as an actor.

The big pay-off was to work as an artist and gain some shred of respect from your friends, who were also artists. But there was never any notion that you could make a living out of art. On the rare occasions you had a gallery show, and sold a little work, well, that was just gravy.

I was in the drama club, and I was one of seven co-presidents of the student body. Students elected me - I don't know why!

I never assumed I would have that commercial success, so it was a total surprise. And honestly, I never assumed that it would ever happen again.

Comedy is surprises, so if you're intending to make somebody laugh and they don't laugh, that's funny.

There are at least two retrospectives of my work each year in some country.

I'm not a trained dancer - I know, I know, you're shocked, I'm sure.

A singer can quit once he or she has made ten great songs; a director can finish once he or she has made five amazing films; a writer just needs to write three great books.

The chance to be both artistically appreciated and commercially appreciated... That's what you hope for.

Oh, what a shock. My career must be slipping. This is the first time I've been available to pick up an award.

If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come.

A girl phoned me the other day and said... 'Come on over, there's nobody home.' I went over. Nobody was home.

I never wanted to be someone who's asking someone to put my work in their gallery. I wanted to be asked.