Ronald Brooks Kitaj (29 October 1932 - 21 October 2007) was an American artist who spent much of his life in England, where he was one of the most prominent figures of the Pop art movement. Before studying at the Royal College of Art in 1959-1961, Kitaj had travelled widely (he was a merchant seaman, then served in the US army) and his wide cultural horizons gave him an influential position among his contemporaries, particularly in upholding his preference for figuration in opposition to the prevailing abstraction.

my pictures had and have secret lives
and so there were things i did not tell
a lot of stuff i did not say back then which i'm saying now
i intend to continue allowing forms of secret life to paintings i'm working on right now
because it excites me to do that