“All right. I’m not opposed to reality imitating art if it doesn’t get in the way.”

“Like most warlords he doesn’t let reality get in the way of his doing whatever he wants to do.”

“Art is higher than reality and has no direct relation to reality. To approach the spiritual in art, one will make as little use as possible of reality, because reality is opposed to the spiritual. We find ourselves in the presence of an abstract art. Art should be above reality, otherwise it would have no value for man.”

“All art is but imitation of nature.”
Omnis ars naturae imitatio est.

“What I’m trying to make you know, not in your forebrain but in your marrow, is that reality never conforms very well to the textbooks, and sometimes it doesn’t conform at all.”

“Making art, any art, you are in some way trying to imitate life, and the ways in which that succeeds or fails is fascinating to me…”

“Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.”

“Nature's purpose in relation to the visual arts is to provide stimulus — not imitation... From its ceaseless urge to create springs all Life — all movement and rhythm — time and light, color and mood — in short, all reality in Form and Thought.”

“The only way to get closer to God is to imitate Him and not associate Him in any way.”

“Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television.”