Edward Steichen Quotes

The mission of photography is to explain man to man and each to himself. And that is the most complicated thing on earth.

The privilege I've had as a curator is not just the discovery of new works... but what I've discovered about myself and what I can offer in the space of an exhibition - to talk about beauty, to talk about power, to talk about ourselves, and to talk and speak to each other.

When a moment in front of me appears to be particularly special, whether it be by beauty or experience, I capture it. I usually find a reason to justify taking that photo - symmetry, or color, or contrast - and it's my hope that my photography sheds light onto what I see and do on a daily basis.

Everything is a subject. Every subject has a rhythm. To feel it is the raison detre. The photograph is a fixed moment of such a raison detre, which lives on in itself.

The artist's role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely. That's how I see it. Otherwise, I don't know why you do it.

There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment. This kind of photography is realism. But realism is not enough - there has to be vision, and the two together can make a good photograph.

But if you're talking about fine art work, then I think you have to ask yourself some pretty deep questions about why it is you want to take pictures and what it is you want to say.

And that's what art is, a form in which people can reflect on who we are as human beings and come to some understanding of this journey we are on.

The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.

I would say I've always lived creativity, but now I - I do it with an intention that's got a completely different power.

I study myself. I study film, and I make sure that everything's on point.

I do come alive in front of a camera. The first video I ever made was a formative moment for me.

Many people misunderstand me - I'm quite happy to be called a photographer. All of a sudden, the art world has caught up with photography, and they are trying to hijack us.

To make good photographs, to express something, to contribute something to the world he lives in, and to contribute something to the art of photography besides imitations of the best photographers on the market today, that is basic training, the understanding of self.

The world of fashion and fine arts in New York really took me by surprise, and photography has helped me through a period of personal turmoil. I am glad when people like my portfolio, but its aim is - or was - to keep me at peace.

The late 80s was quite a difficult time for me as an artist because I'd almost become a parody of myself. All people wanted was pink hair and for me to sing 'I Want to Be Free.' There's nothing wrong with either of those but people need to see you as a person for you to be an artist.

I think I may just enjoy being behind the camera as much as I like being in front of it.

While I think love is a beautiful emotion, I can't make simple love stories any more. In the time that I have, I would like to make films about things that move and bother me.

I feel like I wasn't making music that meant anything to me until I was 26 years old, so I'm realizing that sometimes it takes three years or five years to understand what the point of even making music together is.

Films take us into an entirely different world, and that's why we must ensure that our long shots do justice.

The arts capture our insecurities, quicken our instincts, guide us through threats. They help us know ourselves. They help us know each other. They help us know better.

I think 'Lost Boy' is more of a metaphor for oneself. When I listen to that song, I don't picture someone else. I kind of wrote it from a very honest place.

I'm interested in how we understand ourselves in our relatioships and how we define ourselves.

Most of the songs I've written have painted a picture on how I have evolved, what I see in people, what inspires me.

If you can get to know a person, and you can really understand them, it can usually help you better understand yourself and why you believe what you believe.