David Rockefeller American Quotations

I owe much to mother. She had an expert's understanding, but also approached art emotionally.

You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. But nevertheless, I send a small check, now and then, to the Internal Revenue Service out of the kindness of my heart.

MoMA is doubling its space, and I decided to raise the money for it.

I can only say that I have had a wonderful life.

The conventional notions of art have changed, and a lot of things done today are considered works of art that would have been rejected in the past.

Mother's interest in contemporary American artists emerged during the 1920s.

I believe that government is the servant of the people and not their master.

I learned more from my mother than from all the art historians and curators who have informed me about technical aspects of art history and art appreciation over the years.

I never kept a diary, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels.

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the current economic recession, which is particularly powerful in New York City, have put a number of building plans on hold for the time being.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

When I see something I like, I buy it, but I do not look for it madly.

They decided to establish a museum of modern art where works by contemporary artists would be shown. Mother was viewed as a very progressive person, and not everybody liked the paintings she bought.

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes.

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap.

Mother's taste was eclectic and ranged from the ancient world to the contemporary from Europe to the U.S.

Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility.

Mother also loved Asian art, but she preferred the ceramics and sculpture of earlier Chinese and Korean dynasties, as well as Buddhist art.

Little by little, though, people recognized that it was very important to give contemporary artists a permanent place where their work would be kept.

In order to appreciate cultures of another nation, one needs to go there, know the people and mingle with the culture of that country.