Archive for the 'Interview' Category
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Jeff Koons and David Byrne: 77
Here we see a young Jeff Koons in candid conversation with musician, David Byrne. The chat took place at 52 Bond Street, widely known for housing many artists during the 70s, and located just across the street from CBGB, where Byrne’s band, The Talking Heads grew their early following. While the video title suggests the talk took place in 1975, references to Jimmy Carter’s upcoming presidency and celebrating New Year’s at a NY strip club indicates it most likely occurred in early January of 1977, just two months after The Talking Heads signed with Sire Records. Their first album, Talking Heads: 77, was released in September of that year.
In more timely news, on April 10 Byrne and Fatboy Slim will release Here Lies Love, their collaborative concept record about first lady of the Phillippines, Imelda Marcos. Listen to Please Don’t, the first single, here (via Stereogum)
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Last Chance: Andrew & Peter Sutherland
Supreme Management Being has posted an interview with Andrew and Peter Sutherland, whose current show Amateur Hour at ATM (New York) closes this weekend. Check out a slideshow of the exhibit on Peter’s blog here.
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Interview :: Ryan McLennan
(All Images © Ryan McLennan via Joshua Liner Gallery)
Virginia based artist Ryan McLennan has created a dense visual parable for our own existence, where animals, much like we humans, shape their surrounding world while engaged in the struggle to survive and coexist. McLennan opens a solo show of recent works this weekend, at New York’s Joshua Liner Gallery. We had time to ask Ryan a few questions before packing up his new paintings and heading to the city. Make sure to click images for larger views.
TAC: The title of your upcoming show is “The Strain of Inheritance.” Can you talk a bit more about this?
RM: Basically it is the struggle for survival and trying to build upon what little there is to begin with. Who exactly these animals have inherited their world from is not important, but they have it and what they are doing with it and themselves is the focus.
TAC: How crucial is it for you to create images that contain a political, social, or environmental message? Is this the starting point for you when planning a piece or body of work?
RM: The environmental message built the landscape for my paintings so it remains prevalent, though not always at the top of my thoughts. Political and social issues come through in the narrative, but again not a focus. I think those messages seep in through the subconscious, as I don’t consider myself an overly political person, definitely not a political artist. I am telling a story, creating a world that in many ways reflects our own. The animals in this world deal with issues just as we do. They have social relationships, varying religious beliefs, love and family, opposing political views, crime, work, and so on.
TAC: What can you share about your creative process and the research that goes into your pieces? – Has it changed or evolved at all with the latest work?
RM: When I started making these paintings, I was concerned with factual information and researching the behavior of the animals. This is still important, but lately I have found interest in fantastic and absurd scenarios. Using what I have read in mythology and legend to create landscapes and taking influence from portrait photography to individualize the animals, giving them roles in society. These sources have pushed my work in a different direction. I feel like these paintings have evolved into stills from a fantasy movie.
TAC: There seem to be conflicting messages of both hope and despair, violence and peace in your paintings – as if new life is being sustained by the death and destruction of previous life. What are your thoughts on this?
RM: The life and death cycle is very important in my work as well as in nature. I recently spent some time in Yellowstone National Park, which is crawling with wildlife. For all the elk and bison I saw I also came across plenty of skeletons and antlers. Those remains help in sustaining the ecosystem there. I use this in my paintings, but I push it a little further. The environment in my paintings is so barren that anything existing there must be considered for sustenance, shelter, or as something sacred. I lean a little more to the despair and struggle, which brings us back to the show title, but there is still a feeling of hope…with a little humor, at least funny to me.
TAC: So, you’re packing up and heading to NY for the show – anything you are looking forward to in the city?
RM: I’m really looking forward to seeing my NY friends. My family, Boston, Richmond and Philly friends all coming together. Simen Johan at Yossi Milo Gallery and some other shows I want to see around Chelsea. Museums. Bookstores. Restaurants. Just being in NY and not in Richmond. I try to visit enough to not have to live there.
Ryan McLennan – The Strain of Inheritance
Oct. 17 – Nov. 14
Joshua Liner Gallery
548 W. 28th Street
NY, NY 10001
info@joshualinergallery.com
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Lori Early at Opera Gallery, London
(All Images: © Lori Early via Curated Mag)
Lori Early opens Laments and Lullabies this Friday, Oct. 16, at Opera Gallery’s London location. The event marks her first solo show since exhibiting at Jonathan LeVine in the winter of 2008. Check out Curated Mag’s new interview with the New York based painter.
Lori Early – Laments and Lullabies
Oct. 16 – Nov. 14
Opera Gallery London
134 New Bond Street,
London, W1 2TF
london@operagallery.com
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Art:21 Season 5 Premieres Tonight
Season 5 of Art:21 – Art in the 21st Century premiers tonight, at 10pm EST on PBS. The first episode features William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems. Future episodes will include Jeff Koons, Paul McCarthy, John Baldessari, and Cindy Sherman. For now enjoy this preview from the season opener or watch previous episodes here
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Ed Templeton Interview
Image: Toy Machine
Juxtapoz has posted a two-part interview with Ed Templeton, conducted by fellow artist, Kelly D. Williams. Read: Part 1, Part 2
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
KAWS + Wonderwall Designing New Brooklyn Studio
Image © Complex
Complex has just published a new interview with KAWS, where the artist speaks of a new Brooklyn studio being designed with Masamichi Katayama, founder of Wonderwall Inc., who are highly regarded for retail design including Uniqlo, Bathing Ape, Marc Jacobs, and Colette stores.
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
Spread ArtCulture #4
Image: Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors
Spread ArtCulture #4 recently hit newsstands and is worth picking up. While the issue’s cover story features Pharrell Williams, several other articles will be of interest to art enthusiasts, including a look at Deitch Director, Kathy Grayson, an intimate view of Robert Longo’s studio (shot by The Selby), interviews with Marilyn Minter and Steve Lazarides, and pictorials from several notable photographers including David Eustace and Ruud Baan.
For us, the most significant is Spread’s look at the cutting edge practices of Phillips de Pury’s contemporary art team and their Saturday@Phillips auctions. Unfortunately, by the time of the magazine’s publication (and to the dismay of us here at TAC) Phillips had already announced restructuring of its auctions and the elimination of the weekend sales which had grown increasingly popular with young and seasoned collectors alike.
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Must See :: Artprice Documentary
Image still from Artprice documentary
Artprice, a global leader in art market information, database collecting, and sales, has just released an intimate 23 minute documentary chronicling the history and inner-workings of the company. We were particularly blown away by the passion exuded from Artprice’s eclectic founder, and his mind boggling corporate lair outside Lyon, France, which operates from inside the Abode of Chaos, a 17th century home transformed into a replicated war zone…pretty wild for someone who is also the founder and chairman of Groupe Serveur, Artprice’s parent company, whose annual revenue tops off around 70 million Euro.
Watch the video here
Friday, April 17th, 2009
Spotlight :: Eric Fortune @ LeBasse Projects
It’s not every day we spotlight a new artist, but Eric Fortune is eminently worthy of mention. In the recent past, Eric has been making excellent forward progress with his fine art career. With contributions to shows in several galleries, his most substantial offering to date is now up at LeBasse Projects, in a sold-out exhibition entitled “Lost In Light”. His renditions are sublime, with extremely adroit technique – products of an arduous process. We interviewed Eric about the present moment in his art and much more. Read on for our exchange with one of our favorite new voices: