William Klein Quotes

Shakespeare and Rembrandt have in common the faculty of quickening speculation and compelling the minds of men to combat and discussion.

In my own life, I share my home with works by artists like Elizabeth Murray, Martin Puryear, Jackie Windsor and so many others, whose creativity is clear and fresh and compelling; the works break through the usual, and they inspire creativity; they inspire responses and understanding.

In reality some images or drawings have a greater impact than many buildings that are built.

I have no regrets about my work. To be a photographer was a gift of the gods. I can't imagine anything that would have been better.

I guess what all artists want is for their work to touch someone or for it to be thought provoking.

I try to make pictures I would want to see.

I wanted very much to learn to draw, for a reason that I kept to myself: I wanted to convey an emotion I have about the beauty of the world.

I look at my pictures, and I think, 'Well, how did I do that?'

A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding.

I'd very much like to create my own style as a photographer, even if it's just for myself.

When I work, I'm thinking in terms of purely visual effects and relations, and any verbal equivalent is something that comes afterwards. But it's inconceivable to me that I could experience things and not have them enter into my painting.

Through a painting we can see the whole world.

What it all boils down to for me is having the enthusiasm to do something for enjoyment and being stimulated by what's around you. That's what photography does for me.

I'm fascinated by the way Diane Arbus saw things. She came from this fashion background and then twisted it.

Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate.

When I was out in Georgia doing photographs, I found myself trying to undo my own sense of composition. I'd think, 'Why do I want to take it like this? Is it because I want to take a beautiful picture?' It's quite hard to try and undo it.

Egon Schiele is my favorite painter. There's just something about art - photography, painting, music, plays - whatever you see, sometimes there's a gut reaction that's more important or more visceral than what your brain is thinking about. You can't explain that reaction. It's like what happens when you fall in love.

The arts help complete a person. I truly believe that.

There are usually three sections of people who like my work. There are those who like them aesthetically. They see beauty in the images. Second, there are those who like the horror aspect, which is by design, and I like that. Third, there are those who are moved by the historical or political nature of them. They want to talk about them.

The experience of watching great cinema - great art - is life enriching and spiritually uplifting no matter whether it's about as difficult as it gets, like 'Breaking the Waves,' or as light as it gets, like 'Jerry Maguire,' 'Election' or 'Toy Story.'

Everything I choose to photograph, I think is beautiful.

For me, the aim of making any film like this, any film about an artist, would be to send you back to the art.

My art completes my life.

I feel like art has been at the center of change since the beginning of time.

Why did I take fashion photographs? I thought it was fun. And there was a lot of money.