Michael Chow famous quotes

I've lived a long time, and a lot of things shut down. Painting is one of them. It never occurred to me that I wanted to go back. The world, in a pathetic way, doesn't want me to be an artist; they want me to be in the kitchen, which I just can't do.
-- Michael Chow

#Artist #Long #Kitchen

There's a difference between craft and painting. Craft, your job is to make it exactly the same every time. Painting is the opposite, but in painting there is some craftsmanship, which is called technique. But technique is spontaneous. That's the treasure, the most important part. You are in it.
-- Michael Chow

#Important #Painting #Spontaneous

Sometimes you look at a painting and certain parts are so beautiful. You say, "Wow, this is fantastic," but 10 minutes later you most likely have to kill it. Every painting wants to live. You want to build and bring this type of painting to the climax. When it's at the highest point, you want more. And then if you want more, you might destroy it. So you take a chance.
-- Michael Chow

#Beautiful #Chance #Painting

I would have conversations with European artists. Meaning, people look at my painting and one person would say, "Oh, your painting is just like so-and-so!" Another person would say, "It's just like so-and-so." But at the end, it's a chain of relay like a marathon. There are so many so-and-so's that eventually it becomes mine. My dialogue was completely European, with the '40s, '50s, '60s artists, but on the exterior side I do big painting. It's post-Pollock. It's current. It's a meeting of the time. The Chinese side just comes out.
-- Michael Chow

#Artist #People #Chinese

The true essence of Chinese culture is sophistication, refinement, the spirit of poetry. The spirit of ink painting and calligraphy lives on forever. Calligraphy is more important than painting. Chinese always consider nature. Man is a very small part of nature. That's why in Chinese painting you see huge mountains and man very small, very humble before nature. You must be harmonious and one with nature. You don't fight it. And then there's a bit of a poetry. Of course, it's very complicated, but also very simple.
-- Michael Chow

#Humble #Fighting #Simple

The egg, you see, is a very sexy thing. Egg is like birth. Eggshell is sexy. Egg yolk is definitely sexy. Oh, I love egg.
-- Michael Chow

#Sexy #Birth

I get very surprised and shocked because there is so much prejudice against me as a celebrity, instead of them looking at the quality of my work. Just look at the work. Forget about who I am. But there is so much perception in the art business that blurs that insight. The work speaks, so just look and then judge from there.
-- Michael Chow

#Art #Judging #Perception

Mys philosophy toward art is true to my time, true to my dream, and true to myself.
-- Michael Chow

#Dream #Art #Philosophy

I think with anything where you delve into the back story of an artist, it kind of explains their work more intimately.

I would just encourage any artist to stay focused, of course keep God first, and just keep working hard. Try to outwork those who you idolize.

I don't know how long a child will remain utterly static in front of the television, but my guess is that it could be well into their thirties.

When you get to my age life seems little more than one long march to and from the lavatory.

Krishnamacharya's personal practice was always with long deep breathing and mental focus. Observe the position of his head, the lower abdomen and his mental focus. He was always concentrated on the inner alignment through breath.

People should be left to believe what they like, so long as they harm no one else. Apart from normal expectations of politeness, it is not however clear why people should require their personal beliefs to be treated with special sensitivity by others, to the point that if others fail to tip-toe respectfully around them they will start throwing bombs.

Autumn can be glorious but menacing too - the long shadows, brisk winds, scurrying leaves, impending frost.

It's hard to say what I want my legacy to be when I'm long gone.

It annoys the hell out of me when people say, This is the kitchen, and this is the bathroom. What am I, Helen Keller? I mean, it's pretty obvious when you're in a kitchen and when you're not.

It's amazing the relationships you forge in a kitchen. When you cooperate in an environment that's hot. Where there's a lot of knives. You're trusting your well-being with someone you've never before met or known.