“Painting is like breathing to me. It’s what I do all the time. Every day I make art, whether it is painting, writing or making a movie.”

“My technique is, you throw everybody in a hole and if they can climb out, you go home at the end of the day - and that includes me,”

Born in Brooklyn, and inspired to draw from an early age, the Schnabel family moved to Texas when Julian was 15.  In Texas he learned to surf, went to a Catholic School (in spite of being Jewish) and gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the University of Houston.  But then he moved back to New York to try to make a career in art.  Initially he struggled and worked in various lowly paid positions to keep himself alive, but eventually his work was recognised and in 1975 he had his first solo show back home in Houston.  He travelled to Europe and took part in the 1980 Venice Bienale.  The mid 80s was his highest profile time as a major ne-expressionist artist with a bold, somewhat confrontational style.

He has now made four films - some have divided the critics, but The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was universally acclaimed.  He has also written an autobiography and made a music CD.