No one would want to pay a penny for an empty canvas by me. But it would be quite another if the empty canvas were signed by a great artist. I would be surprised if an empty canvas by Picasso… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end. — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
Artists erase reality to a greater or lesser extent, and substitute their own reality - created by their brains, instead. — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
Any artistic achievement that is tailored to conform to social demands rather than to the real, uninhibited, feelings of its creator, is destined not… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
The Japanese, if I understand them, are masters of the unsaid and the unstated, of subtlety and ambiguity, all of which constitute powerful stimulants… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
The reaction was immediate. The blood flow was in proportion to how much the painting was liked. — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
Laughter is very infectious, and why it should be so is a most interesting neurological problem. But it also has other, more physiological, benefits.… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
I view all art as an effort to translate brain concepts into a work. These brain concepts are synthetic ones - the result of many experiences. But a single work of art, or even a series of works, more often than not cannot translate these synthetic concepts adequately. Yves Saint Laurent once said that he suffered greatly when creating. He… — Semir Zeki Copy Share
I have the strong suspicion that when the brain's greed system is in operation, those parts of the brain that regulate ethical conduct are… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
Most artists, or at least most of the ones I know, deny having a philosophical outlook that they try to translate into their works.… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
I can really recommend a beautifully but sparsely furnished room with empty walls! — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
Self-censorship, whether known or unknown, is an unwelcome brake on creativity; it stifles self-expression and hence prevents a work from reaching the heights of… — Semir Zeki Copy Share Image
