But an artist once told me I should always wear white.

I want the artist to tell me, not the other 80 people.

"I just couldn't bring myself to address him in any sort of literal way," the artist tells me.

If the artist tells you he has made great art, is that not enough?

"These artists tell us they had the same universal need for symbolism that we have," he says.

Our preference is to have an artist tell us, but in many cases we don't know.

Any artist would tell you the same, she said.

"I'm trying to maintain my quality," the artist told him.

Why should we listen when artists tell us that their work is important?

Humor is just one way these artists tell their fans that they do not mean to be taken literally.