Jean Cocteau Quotes

I've been alienating my public since I was 20 years old. When 'American Buffalo' came out on Broadway, people would storm out and say, 'How dare he use that kind of language!' Of course I'm alienating the public! That's what they pay me for.

I almost never try to make the audience comfortable. I wouldn't want that if I were in the audience.

I know I'm not the greatest singer or dancer, but that doesn't interest me. I'm interested in being provocative and pushing people's buttons.

I think you don't do work for controversy alone, and whenever you do new work which people don't understand and they say it is done to create controversy.

Being an artist is in part an act of rupture.

Controversy is part of the nature of art and creativity.

Every work of art is an uncommitted crime.

I just try to get away with as much as I can. I don't think that's very radical in the art world.

'Funny Games' was conceived as a provocation. My other films are different. If people feel my other films are, or respond to them as provocation, then that's quite different. 'Funny Games' is the only one of mine where my intention was to provoke the audience.

I never deliberately set out to shock, but when people don't walk out of my plays I think there is something wrong.

I like people who shake other people up and make them feel uncomfortable.

All good art is an indiscretion.

I think the job of artists is to stir things up.

When you really make things that really challenge the status quo or challenge issues, and you do it artistically, and you do it with no fear, people are listening.

Provocative... I used to be defensive about it, but in the end, I realised it's exactly right. It's what we're trying to do - to provoke thought and discussion and, you know, shake people up to start thinking about things in a different way. I'm interested in messing with what they think is the norm.

I prefer to create friction. Because if you're not pushing buttons, you're just making something pleasant; it's probably been done before, and it's not making anyone feel anything.

I have no education, I have no academic background in painting or in music, but I write music and I compose music and I write and I sell paintings, and my rule is, well, they can't arrest me.

Art has an obligation to offend

This is what it is the business of the artist to do. Art is theft, art is armed robbery, art is not pleasing your mother.

Painting something that defies the law of the land is good. Painting something that defies the law of the land and the law of gravity at the same time is ideal.

I use really crazy subject matter, like all of those pictures of me throwing up and cutting myself, it's to make people think rather than be so mediocre. Instead of just seeing another girl with implants, I want to have meaning to what I do.

I can't wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it. At the moment if I did certain things people would look at it, consider it and then say "f off". But after a while you can get away with things.

You can find truly original pieces of writing, but they're original because you go, "Who would have even have thought of that?," or, "Why would anyone ever want to go see that?"

A good artist's always got his hand in his zipper.

Isn't art about breaking rules, about challenging existing systems, isn't it about discovering meaning in things or situations before others see anything in them??