You always want to come back with an image that's interesting visually, and you hope to get something from the person you photograph that's different than other images you know of these people.
Guinea pigs are quite difficult to draw, I think, because they're so furry.
I would love to document all the interesting characters out on the East End. There are some really inspiring people - you can feel the creative energy out there.
I try and photograph people as they are. I do not want to hide anything. I want to bring across a personality, a humanity. It is not a case of model A or model B against a white background. I am interested in the person.
Sometimes photographing people is like pulling teeth, trying to get some sort of personality.
Your aim as a photographer is to get a picture of that person that means something. Portraits aren't fantasies; they need to tell a truth.
The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt.
Painting has the ability to communicate something about the sitter that gets to his essence.
With modelling, if you want to be good at it, you try to tell a story in a photo and give a person a sense of feeling.
I paint people not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.
That's my ambition: that you look at the pictures and realize what complex, fascinating, interesting people every single one of my subjects is.
