Charles Saatchi Quotes & Sayings

“My aim in life isn't so much the pursuit of happiness as the happiness of pursuit.”

“It's obvious nonsense, but it makes nice people feel good about themselves to do their bit for the planet. It's vanity of a grotesque kind to believe that mankind, and our 'carbon footprint', has more impact on the future of Earth than Nature, which bends our planet to its will, as it sees fit.”

“I hate to sound like a romantic adolescent, but I believe artists don't generally see art as a career choice; they simply can't overcome their desire to make art, and will live on little income for as long as they have to, before they start to sell their work - or give up and get a paying job.”

“By and large, talent is in such short supply that mediocrity can be taken for brilliance rather more than genius can go undiscovered.”

“Many people cycle or swim to keep trim. But if swimming is so good for the figure, how do you explain whales?”

“Few people in contemporary art demonstrate much curiosity. The majority spend their days blathering on, rather than trying to work out why one artist is more interesting than another, or why one picture works and another doesn't.”

“I have never cared enough about money to worry about spending it, and have been fortunate to make enough to be spoiled rotten.”

“I've heard that almost all the people crowding around the big art openings barely look at the work on display and are just there to hobnob. Nothing wrong with that, except that none of them ever come back to look at the art - but they will tell everyone, and actually believe, that they have seen the exhibition.”

“Some people in the art world bemoan the hedge fund millionaires spending freely to acquire ostentatious displays of wealth and coolth for their giddily chic designer duplexes. Others bemoan art being treated as a commodity. But most of the bemoaning is because the art world is stuffed full of bemoaners, bemoaning about everything.”

“Artists need a lot of collectors, all kinds of collectors, buying their art.”