Seattle Quest Films

The fantasy of fame We live in a culture seemingly obsessed with celebrity. But whereas fame used to be a secondary product of success in a given field, now it is a goal in its own right and the key to wider success. Artists as a result focus their attention on their social media persona and fame, rather than rely on t...

“But no one knows anything--that's what life is for: education, enlightenment. This constant fear of appearing stupid leads us to all manner of destruction, of ourselves and other people.

“What is love? What is s*x? What is art? So many people arrive claiming to know these things, and their insecurity leads them to imprint their definitions on us all. Hell on earth is what this is.

“I don't know how to tell someone--you, me, anyone--how to live, how to grow, but coming at situations as a blank slate, what my mother used to call a face turned up like an empty bowl, is the better way. Listen. Refuse to judge. Recognize the beauty of these two words: No comment.

“Hell is other people. I did not say that, but I would like to add a footnote to that quote, seconding that emotion.”—Marlon Brando/Interview with James Grissom/1990

Photograph by Lawrence Fried.