88 Quotes by Philip Johnson

I used to think that each phase of life was the end. But now that my view on life is more or less fixed, I believe that change is a great thing. In fact, it’s the only real absolute in the world.

It is wonderful to be in the country in a glass house, because no matter what happens out there, you’re nice and safe, you know, cuddled in your little bed, and there it is, raging storms, snowing – wonderful.

In our greatest universities, naturalism – the doctrine that nature is all there is – is the virtually unquestioned assumption that underlies not only natural science but intellectual work of all kinds.

The people with money to build today are corporations – they are our popes and Medicis. The sense of pride is why they build.

How does an artist know when the line that he just painted is good or not good? That’s the catch. De Kooning was the greatest of my contemporaries in art, and he knew when he’d done a good line. When he didn’t, he threw it away. I wish I’d thrown away some of mine.

There’s no such thing as old age. I’m no different now than I was 50 years ago. I’m just having more fun.

You’re going to change the world? Well, go ahead and try. You’ll give it up at a certain point and change yourself instead.

I like the thought that what we are to do on this earth is embellish it for its greater beauty, so that oncoming generations can look back to the shapes we leave here and get the same thrill that I get in looking back at theirs – at the Parthenon, at Chartres Cathedral.

I haven’t any wisdom – just a child like everybody else. I’m not as great as Frank Lloyd Wright.