This article, originally posted on FineArtViews by FASO, is by Brian Sherwin, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City.
Mat Gleason is known for being a bare-knuckle art critic. He founded Coagula Art Journal in 1992-- which has focused on giving the lowdown on high art for nearly two decades. Coagula Art Journal has been described as "the publication that the art world loves to hate, and loves to read" by the Village Voice-- and has been referred to as “The National Enquirer of the Art World" by the New York Post. Gleason describes Coagula Art Journal as an antidote to the theory-addled and fashion-driven forces in the world of contemporary art.
Brian Sherwin: Mat, you founded Coagula Art Journal-- a freely distributed contemporary art magazine-- in 1992. The publication, which is known for its tabloid style, has been praised widely for the love/hate relationship it has had with the mainstream art world-- including mentions of the influence it has had on art writing by art critics such as Jerry Saltz. Can you reflect on the founding of Coagula Art Journal? What spurred you to see it in print?
Mat Gleason: In college I had success publishing an underground newspaper so I kept the same model with a raw approach. I prefer immediacy in writing and art and reactions and was deeply into punk zines, so it was just a word dominated punk zine for the art world.
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Friday, August 5, 2011
Art Critic Brian Sherwin Interviews Gallerist Edward Winkleman
This article, originally posted on FineArtViews by FASO, is by Brian Sherwin, Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City.
Edward Winkleman is a gallery owner, curator, author and blogger from New York. Winkleman's blog has long been a point of contact for artists who desire to learn more about how mainstream art galleries function. His blog features discussion about art, culture, and politics. Winkleman is known for being an art dealer who embraces social media and the Internet. He spearheaded Moving Image, an art fair focused on contemporary video art, and participated in VIP Art Fair.
Winkleman Gallery has participated in Art Chicago, Pulse, ARCO, NADA, Aqua and several other art fair venues. Exhibits at Winkleman Gallery have been reviewed in The New York Times, Art in America, The New Yorker, Artforum, Flash Art and several other art publications. Winkleman Gallery is located in the Chelsea arts district in New York City.
Winkleman tends to represent art that has an edge-- art that slices deep into societal exploration. He has represented Janet Biggs, Jennifer Dalton, Joy Garnett and The Chadwicks-- among others.
Brian Sherwin: Edward, your art blog is considered by many to be one of the most influential art blogs active at this time. Why did you decide to start blogging?
Edward Winkleman: I began blogging originally about politics, back in the early days of the George W. Bush administration when I couldn't find any semblance of the outrage I felt about our march to war in Iraq being expressed in the main stream media. Bloggers were much more willing to say the things the news anchors apparently were not, and it became a haven of sanity for me. Even when I disagreed with the other commenters, at least people were acknowledging what was going on. Most important to me about all that was that I was actively learning about things I wouldn't have known how to go about learning if left to my devices...the community of bloggers were very generous in pointing out the best summaries of issues and/or best critiques of policies.
It took me a few years to realize that this same resource could be applied to discussing art and the art gallery system. I launched my current blog in 2005 mainly as a marketing tool for the gallery, but it quickly evolved into a forum on how to navigate the gallery system. I've enjoyed being part of the discussion (loving galleries as I do) and so continue it today.
Edward Winkleman is a gallery owner, curator, author and blogger from New York. Winkleman's blog has long been a point of contact for artists who desire to learn more about how mainstream art galleries function. His blog features discussion about art, culture, and politics. Winkleman is known for being an art dealer who embraces social media and the Internet. He spearheaded Moving Image, an art fair focused on contemporary video art, and participated in VIP Art Fair.
Winkleman Gallery has participated in Art Chicago, Pulse, ARCO, NADA, Aqua and several other art fair venues. Exhibits at Winkleman Gallery have been reviewed in The New York Times, Art in America, The New Yorker, Artforum, Flash Art and several other art publications. Winkleman Gallery is located in the Chelsea arts district in New York City.
Winkleman tends to represent art that has an edge-- art that slices deep into societal exploration. He has represented Janet Biggs, Jennifer Dalton, Joy Garnett and The Chadwicks-- among others.
Brian Sherwin: Edward, your art blog is considered by many to be one of the most influential art blogs active at this time. Why did you decide to start blogging?
Edward Winkleman: I began blogging originally about politics, back in the early days of the George W. Bush administration when I couldn't find any semblance of the outrage I felt about our march to war in Iraq being expressed in the main stream media. Bloggers were much more willing to say the things the news anchors apparently were not, and it became a haven of sanity for me. Even when I disagreed with the other commenters, at least people were acknowledging what was going on. Most important to me about all that was that I was actively learning about things I wouldn't have known how to go about learning if left to my devices...the community of bloggers were very generous in pointing out the best summaries of issues and/or best critiques of policies.
It took me a few years to realize that this same resource could be applied to discussing art and the art gallery system. I launched my current blog in 2005 mainly as a marketing tool for the gallery, but it quickly evolved into a forum on how to navigate the gallery system. I've enjoyed being part of the discussion (loving galleries as I do) and so continue it today.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Interview with Mollie White (SCOPE Art Show)
FineArtViews Interview: Mollie White -- Show Director for SCOPE Art Show by Brian Sherwin
This article is by Brian Sherwin , Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
SCOPE Art Show is one of the most notable of the mainstream global contemporary art fairs. SCOPE Art Show holds annual fairs in New York, East Hampton, London, Miami, and Basel. Total sales at SCOPE fairs have reached well over $100 million since the fairs creation nearly a decade ago. Mollie White, the current Show Director for SCOPE, offered her time and experience to FineArtviews in order to answer key questions about SCOPE, how the internet is impacting the art world, and advice for artists.
Brian Sherwin: Mollie, you are the Show Director for the SCOPE Art Shows in New York, Miami, Basel, London and throughout the world. Tell our readers about your position with SCOPE-- for example, what responsibilities do you have?
Mollie White: As the Show Director, my primary responsibilities include finding and enlisting international galleries to participate in the various SCOPE Art Shows. I will often travel to different cities to visit art fairs, and gallery openings, so as to research and find new galleries. Once the galleries have committed to the fair, I act as a liaison to the rest of the SCOPE team, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience at the SCOPE fair.
This article is by Brian Sherwin , Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
SCOPE Art Show is one of the most notable of the mainstream global contemporary art fairs. SCOPE Art Show holds annual fairs in New York, East Hampton, London, Miami, and Basel. Total sales at SCOPE fairs have reached well over $100 million since the fairs creation nearly a decade ago. Mollie White, the current Show Director for SCOPE, offered her time and experience to FineArtviews in order to answer key questions about SCOPE, how the internet is impacting the art world, and advice for artists.
Brian Sherwin: Mollie, you are the Show Director for the SCOPE Art Shows in New York, Miami, Basel, London and throughout the world. Tell our readers about your position with SCOPE-- for example, what responsibilities do you have?
Mollie White: As the Show Director, my primary responsibilities include finding and enlisting international galleries to participate in the various SCOPE Art Shows. I will often travel to different cities to visit art fairs, and gallery openings, so as to research and find new galleries. Once the galleries have committed to the fair, I act as a liaison to the rest of the SCOPE team, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience at the SCOPE fair.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Brian Sherwin / Tonya Hoots interview with author Anne Bishop
Cover: Art by Larry Rostand -- Design by Ray Lundgren
Anne Bishop is a New York Times best-selling author. Bishop has steadily made her mark in the fantasy genre since the release of her first novel, Daughter of the Blood, in 1998. Since that time she has authored over a dozen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel is Twilight‘s Dawn, a book set in the Black Jewels world.
Anne Bishop is known for creating character driven stories that explore good vs. evil themes-- as well as the complexities of relationships-- in a way that is uniquely hers. The characters and worlds that she has created in her novels are detailed-- bold worlds where a reader can explore his or her own imagination page after page. That is no easy task considering that the fantasy genre is often burdened with mediocre concepts, dry characters, and familiar plots.
Due to Anne Bishop’s originality she is considered by many to be one of the most influential fantasy storytellers writing today. Bishop offered her time to answer a few questions about her writing process, influences, and advice that she has for emerging authors.
Brian Sherwin: Anne, your books are known for meshing themes of sensuality and violence-- The Black Jewels series is a perfect example. In your opinion, what do you think attracts readers to these extremes within the context of your novels?
Anne Bishop: I can’t speak for other people, but sensuality and violence were not an unusual mix in the historical romances I was reading twenty years ago. So for someone who liked fantasy, horror, romance and “women‘s fiction,” putting elements of those genres together to create a violent, sensual, gritty world wasn’t that big of a jump. I think the attraction is being able to take a ride with powerful, dangerous characters in a place that exists only in imagination--the supreme exotic locale. It is writing about the play of human emotions--the joys and triumphs as well as the heartaches and failures--in an otherworldly setting that intrigues me. Perhaps that is the same reason readers are drawn to the stories.
Tonya Hoots: What do you think attracts readers to the fantasy genre in general? Why, in your opinion, do people need fantasy within their lives?
AB: Fantasy contains boundless possibilities. It contains the delight--and the fear--of things that are Other. In a background where anything can happen, the things we fear can be given tangible form and be defeated (sometimes). We also have a chance to explore the human heart without the constraints, and pain, of the real world. Wonder exists within the boundaries of the genre, and that makes it fun.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Interview with Alan Bamberger
FineArtViews Interview: Alan Bamberger -- Art Appraiser, Consultant, and Author by Brian Sherwin
This article is by Brian Sherwin , Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
Brian Sherwin: Alan, you have been an art consultant since 1985 and have written about art business since 1983. You are also known throughout San Francisco for being an astute art critic. Thus, you have no doubt observed how art marketing has changed over the years-- specifically since the advent of the Internet and the bombardment of social media that our lives tend to be linked to today. In general, what are your thoughts concerning the meshing of traditional art marketing with the Internet?
Alan Bamberger: The internet is an incredibly valuable tool; use it. Artists can reach more people than ever with their work-- no matter where they live-- as long as they have an internet connection. You don't necessarily have to be in a big city anymore, or know the right people, or play the game according to other people's rules. If you have talent and you put it out there into the electronic ether, sooner or later they'll find you.
This article is by Brian Sherwin , Regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint and Art Fag City. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
Brian Sherwin: Alan, you have been an art consultant since 1985 and have written about art business since 1983. You are also known throughout San Francisco for being an astute art critic. Thus, you have no doubt observed how art marketing has changed over the years-- specifically since the advent of the Internet and the bombardment of social media that our lives tend to be linked to today. In general, what are your thoughts concerning the meshing of traditional art marketing with the Internet?
Alan Bamberger: The internet is an incredibly valuable tool; use it. Artists can reach more people than ever with their work-- no matter where they live-- as long as they have an internet connection. You don't necessarily have to be in a big city anymore, or know the right people, or play the game according to other people's rules. If you have talent and you put it out there into the electronic ether, sooner or later they'll find you.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Brian Sherwin interview with author Janet Evanovich
The Stephanie Plum series has been on-going since 1994. The Plum series, which are a mix of romance, mystery, adventure and humor have become widely popular in recent years. A film adaptation of Evanovich’s first book in the Stephanie Plum series, titled One for the Money, is currently in production.
(The following interview with Janet Evanovich was conducted with the assistance of Tonya Hoots.)
Brian Sherwin: Janet, I understand that when you attended college you majored in find arts-- further research revealed that your focus was on painting. Do you still paint? Also, would you say that your studies in art helped to set your direction as a writer-- in the sense that creating visual art can be considered a form of story-telling unto itself?
Janet Evanovich: I'm so busy writing and editing two books a year that I don't have time for painting anymore. The truth is that when I was painting, I was painting stories I was telling myself. When I look back at it, moving to writing was a very natural progression for me.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Brian Sherwin interview with photographer, graphic artist, and musician Sean Yseult (formerly of White Zombie)
Brian Sherwin interview with photographer, graphic artist, and musician Sean Yseult (formerly of White Zombie)
Image used with permission from Sean Yseult
Sean Yseult is a photographer, graphic artist, and musician. She has played in several bands-- but is best known as having been the bassist for the heavy metal band White Zombie. Yseult was a member of White Zombie for over a decade-- and is preparing to launch a book, titled “I’m in the Band”, that details her experiences touring with White Zombie as well as offering insight from others who are involved with White Zombie. The book will contain a history of the band that fans have been denied for years.
Yseult has been involved with bands such as Rock City Morgue and Famous Monsters-- and of course, White Zombie. She has performed with many musicians-- including, Rob Zombie, Jay Yuenger, John Tempesta, Tim Jeffs, Tom Guay, Ivan de Prume, Katie Lynn Campbell, and various others. However, before becoming one of the greatest bassist’s in rock history Sean Yseult had an interest in photography and graphic design. In recent years Yseult has been focusing on aspects of visual art rather than music.
Brian Sherwin: Sean, you were one of the founding members of the band White Zombie-- and played bass in the band for over decade. Needless to say, White Zombie was very successful. I understand that you plan to release a book, titled “I’m in the Band”, that contains tour diaries, a collection of photos, and other information that details your years as a member of White Zombie. Can you tell us about the book and your motivation for writing it? For example, is part of the motivation to give credit where credit is due as far as the band lineup is concerned?
Sean-Yseult: That is a huge part of the book - I actually reconnected with almost all of the past members of White Zombie and asked them to write a piece to go in the book. Whether that was their first impression of White Zombie, their experience within the band, or a few funny tour stories, it was entirely up to them.
I not only want to give credit where it is due to all of the band members who contributed in one way or another, but also to all of the people who helped us along the way - I have pages written by our first record producer, Daniel Rey, our first guy that booked us in the East Village, Steven Blush, our a&r guy who signed us to Geffen, the list goes on.
Part of my motivation in creating this book was hearing from our fans once our box-set came out - they were very upset upon opening it up to find not one liner note or note of reference about the band at all. When we broke up we disappeared, there was no farewell or fanfare, no chance to connect with our fans one last time. The box-set should have been our final word to the fans, but it said nothing.
When I started looking through all of the boxes of White Zombie things I had saved - photo albums, tour diaries, back stage passes, etc., so many memories came back and I felt like I had quite a story to tell, with quite a lot of visuals on hand to illustrate it. Having started off as a photo major in art school, I almost always had a camera around, so I have photos of us from day one until the very end!
Sean Yseult is a photographer, graphic artist, and musician. She has played in several bands-- but is best known as having been the bassist for the heavy metal band White Zombie. Yseult was a member of White Zombie for over a decade-- and is preparing to launch a book, titled “I’m in the Band”, that details her experiences touring with White Zombie as well as offering insight from others who are involved with White Zombie. The book will contain a history of the band that fans have been denied for years.
Yseult has been involved with bands such as Rock City Morgue and Famous Monsters-- and of course, White Zombie. She has performed with many musicians-- including, Rob Zombie, Jay Yuenger, John Tempesta, Tim Jeffs, Tom Guay, Ivan de Prume, Katie Lynn Campbell, and various others. However, before becoming one of the greatest bassist’s in rock history Sean Yseult had an interest in photography and graphic design. In recent years Yseult has been focusing on aspects of visual art rather than music.
Brian Sherwin: Sean, you were one of the founding members of the band White Zombie-- and played bass in the band for over decade. Needless to say, White Zombie was very successful. I understand that you plan to release a book, titled “I’m in the Band”, that contains tour diaries, a collection of photos, and other information that details your years as a member of White Zombie. Can you tell us about the book and your motivation for writing it? For example, is part of the motivation to give credit where credit is due as far as the band lineup is concerned?
Sean-Yseult: That is a huge part of the book - I actually reconnected with almost all of the past members of White Zombie and asked them to write a piece to go in the book. Whether that was their first impression of White Zombie, their experience within the band, or a few funny tour stories, it was entirely up to them.
I not only want to give credit where it is due to all of the band members who contributed in one way or another, but also to all of the people who helped us along the way - I have pages written by our first record producer, Daniel Rey, our first guy that booked us in the East Village, Steven Blush, our a&r guy who signed us to Geffen, the list goes on.
Part of my motivation in creating this book was hearing from our fans once our box-set came out - they were very upset upon opening it up to find not one liner note or note of reference about the band at all. When we broke up we disappeared, there was no farewell or fanfare, no chance to connect with our fans one last time. The box-set should have been our final word to the fans, but it said nothing.
When I started looking through all of the boxes of White Zombie things I had saved - photo albums, tour diaries, back stage passes, etc., so many memories came back and I felt like I had quite a story to tell, with quite a lot of visuals on hand to illustrate it. Having started off as a photo major in art school, I almost always had a camera around, so I have photos of us from day one until the very end!
Brian Sherwin interview with singer, songwriter and musician Geoff Tate (Queensryche)
Brian Sherwin interview with singer, songwriter and musician Geoff Tate (Queensryche) (This is an interview I had with Geoff Tate of the band Queensryche. It was originally posted on the Myartspace Blog on April 19, 2009.)
Photo Credit: Greg Watermann/January 2009 More info: L-R: Ed Jackson, Scott Rockenfield, Michael Wilton, Geoff Tate
Queensryche, formed in 1981, is considered to be one of the most influential bands to rise in the 1980s-- largely due to the fact that Queensryche broke from the marketable direction that was expected from bands in that era. Throughout the 1980s Queensryche delivered something more than just songs about sex, fun, and hangover memories-- they delivered socially charged songs that challenge the listeners perception of the world and relationships around us. Today they continue to carve their own path musically and conceptually.
For nearly three decades the band has meshed aspects of visual art, video art, and performance art into their performances on stage. Due to their thought provoking lyrics, sound, and performances the band has been dubbed the ‘thinking man’s heavy metal band’. Concept albums by Queensryche, such as Operation: Mindcrime, are often mentioned alongside other notable concept albums, such as The Who’s Tommy and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. To date over 20 million Queensryche albums have been sold worldwide.
In an interview conducted by phone I discussed the visual aspects of Queensryche with frontman Geoff Tate. Geoff offered his thoughts on critics, copyright, and the challenges that musicians and visual artists face today. He also offered some insight about American Soldier -- a recently released concept album by Queensryche that tells the story of war from a firsthand perspective.
Brian Sherwin: Geoff, Queensryche performances often involve aspects of film, video art, and performance art. In a sense, various aspects of art are meshed together in order to heighten the experience of the audience. You could say that the audience is hit with a visual and audio bombardment. That said, how involved are you with the visual aspects of the tours? Do you oversee the process? Are you involved with the planning directly?
Geoff Tate: Yeah, I’m directly involved in the process. We have been collecting and cataloguing images for 28 years. In the early days it was difficult to keep track of images because keeping everything on file was a laboring process. With the technology of today the process is easier because the images, clips, and audio can be saved on computer files. So there is a lot of resources for us to pull content from within the collection when we are planning stage shows or videos.
For the stage performances I’m directly involved in selecting actors that have the talent to convey the themes and emotions that we want to capture for the audience. I help select and arrange the video clips that play behind us on the stage. So I would say I’m deeply involved and interested in the meshing of visual and audio for our shows and how that communicates to people at the show.
Queensryche, formed in 1981, is considered to be one of the most influential bands to rise in the 1980s-- largely due to the fact that Queensryche broke from the marketable direction that was expected from bands in that era. Throughout the 1980s Queensryche delivered something more than just songs about sex, fun, and hangover memories-- they delivered socially charged songs that challenge the listeners perception of the world and relationships around us. Today they continue to carve their own path musically and conceptually.
For nearly three decades the band has meshed aspects of visual art, video art, and performance art into their performances on stage. Due to their thought provoking lyrics, sound, and performances the band has been dubbed the ‘thinking man’s heavy metal band’. Concept albums by Queensryche, such as Operation: Mindcrime, are often mentioned alongside other notable concept albums, such as The Who’s Tommy and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. To date over 20 million Queensryche albums have been sold worldwide.
In an interview conducted by phone I discussed the visual aspects of Queensryche with frontman Geoff Tate. Geoff offered his thoughts on critics, copyright, and the challenges that musicians and visual artists face today. He also offered some insight about American Soldier -- a recently released concept album by Queensryche that tells the story of war from a firsthand perspective.
Brian Sherwin: Geoff, Queensryche performances often involve aspects of film, video art, and performance art. In a sense, various aspects of art are meshed together in order to heighten the experience of the audience. You could say that the audience is hit with a visual and audio bombardment. That said, how involved are you with the visual aspects of the tours? Do you oversee the process? Are you involved with the planning directly?
Geoff Tate: Yeah, I’m directly involved in the process. We have been collecting and cataloguing images for 28 years. In the early days it was difficult to keep track of images because keeping everything on file was a laboring process. With the technology of today the process is easier because the images, clips, and audio can be saved on computer files. So there is a lot of resources for us to pull content from within the collection when we are planning stage shows or videos.
For the stage performances I’m directly involved in selecting actors that have the talent to convey the themes and emotions that we want to capture for the audience. I help select and arrange the video clips that play behind us on the stage. So I would say I’m deeply involved and interested in the meshing of visual and audio for our shows and how that communicates to people at the show.
Brian Sherwin interview with artist Alex Grey
Brian Sherwin interview with artist Alex Grey (This is an interview I had with artist Alex Grey. It was originally posted on the Myartspace Blog on April 05, 2008.)
Image used with permission from the artist
Alex Grey is an artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Alex Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner. His oeuvre spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, and painting. Grey is a member of the Integral Institute. He is also on the board of advisors for the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, and is the Chair of Wisdom University's Sacred Art Department. He and his wife Allyson Grey are the co-founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, aka CoSM, a non-profit institution supporting Visionary Culture in New York City.
Grey's paintings have been featured as album art for the following bands: Tool, SCI, the Beastie Boys and Nirvana. His artwork has been featured on Newsweek magazine, the Discovery Channel, Rave flyers and sheets of blotter acid. His work has been exhibited worldwide, including Feature Inc., Tibet House, Stux Gallery, P.S. 1, The Outsider Art Fair and the New Museum in NYC, the Grand Palais in Paris, the Sao
Paulo Biennial in Brazil. Alex has been a keynote speaker at conferences all over the world including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Basel, Barcelona and Manaus. The international psychedelic community has embraced Grey as an important mapmaker and spokesman for the visionary realm.
Brian Sherwin: Alex, can you recall your years as an art student? Also, at what point were you first interested in visionary art?
Alex Grey: As an art student I was a nihilist existentialist. I dropped out of art school after two years and went to work for Columbus Outdoor Advertising to paint billboards. I sent invitations to the openings of the new boards I painted, calling the work Capitalist Realism, making them part of the conceptual art movement of the 70's. Then I moved east and attended art school again for a year, studying conceptual and performance art.
Focusing on an examination of polarities such as life and death, I observed and documented a dead dog rotting. Later that year, observing the intuitive and the rational hemispheres of the brain, I shaved off half of my hair. Six months later, I shaved off the other half in a ritual performance. Placing the shaved hair on a human brain, I ate spaghetti, took the universal antidote, syrup of ipecac, and vomited onto the brain and hair. I wrapped the entire mess in a bag and called the performance "Brain Sack". These acts tapped into a deeply disturbed but somewhat shamanic search for meaning.
My study of polarities led me to trek to the North Magnetic Pole to perform "Polar Wandering". I found it ironic that the force humanity relies upon to get it's bearings, the site to which all compasses point, is continually in motion, a phenomenon by that name. Returning, I asked God to give a sign because I felt
desperately in need of spirit. Within 24 hours of that supplication I took LSD and experienced the unity of polarities as well as having met my wife, the human embodiment of divine love in my life. LSD was my first "visioning."
After "Polar Wandering", I left art school for good and took a job in a medical school morgue where I prepared bodies for dissection. A student of the subject of consciousness, I felt it was imperative to study the container in which consciousness lives.
Alex Grey is an artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Alex Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner. His oeuvre spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, and painting. Grey is a member of the Integral Institute. He is also on the board of advisors for the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, and is the Chair of Wisdom University's Sacred Art Department. He and his wife Allyson Grey are the co-founders of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, aka CoSM, a non-profit institution supporting Visionary Culture in New York City.
Grey's paintings have been featured as album art for the following bands: Tool, SCI, the Beastie Boys and Nirvana. His artwork has been featured on Newsweek magazine, the Discovery Channel, Rave flyers and sheets of blotter acid. His work has been exhibited worldwide, including Feature Inc., Tibet House, Stux Gallery, P.S. 1, The Outsider Art Fair and the New Museum in NYC, the Grand Palais in Paris, the Sao
Paulo Biennial in Brazil. Alex has been a keynote speaker at conferences all over the world including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Basel, Barcelona and Manaus. The international psychedelic community has embraced Grey as an important mapmaker and spokesman for the visionary realm.
Brian Sherwin: Alex, can you recall your years as an art student? Also, at what point were you first interested in visionary art?
Alex Grey: As an art student I was a nihilist existentialist. I dropped out of art school after two years and went to work for Columbus Outdoor Advertising to paint billboards. I sent invitations to the openings of the new boards I painted, calling the work Capitalist Realism, making them part of the conceptual art movement of the 70's. Then I moved east and attended art school again for a year, studying conceptual and performance art.
Focusing on an examination of polarities such as life and death, I observed and documented a dead dog rotting. Later that year, observing the intuitive and the rational hemispheres of the brain, I shaved off half of my hair. Six months later, I shaved off the other half in a ritual performance. Placing the shaved hair on a human brain, I ate spaghetti, took the universal antidote, syrup of ipecac, and vomited onto the brain and hair. I wrapped the entire mess in a bag and called the performance "Brain Sack". These acts tapped into a deeply disturbed but somewhat shamanic search for meaning.
My study of polarities led me to trek to the North Magnetic Pole to perform "Polar Wandering". I found it ironic that the force humanity relies upon to get it's bearings, the site to which all compasses point, is continually in motion, a phenomenon by that name. Returning, I asked God to give a sign because I felt
desperately in need of spirit. Within 24 hours of that supplication I took LSD and experienced the unity of polarities as well as having met my wife, the human embodiment of divine love in my life. LSD was my first "visioning."
After "Polar Wandering", I left art school for good and took a job in a medical school morgue where I prepared bodies for dissection. A student of the subject of consciousness, I felt it was imperative to study the container in which consciousness lives.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Brian Sherwin interview with artist Michael Craig-Martin
(This is an interview I had with artist Michael Craig-Martin. It was originally posted on the Myartspace Blog on August 16th, 2007.)
To Be Titled (no. 6) -- Dimensions: 72 x 48 inches, Medium: Acrylic on aluminium panel. By Michael Craig-Martin -- 2005. Image used with permission from the artist.
Born in Dublin in 1941, Michael Craig-Martin studied at Yale University School of Art and Architecture in the early 1960s, but has spent most of his working life in Great Britain. Since that time he has shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Britain and internationally, including the definitive exhibition of British conceptual art, The New Art, at the Hayward Gallery (1972).
The impact Michael has had on the world of art is obvious. From 1974 to 1988, Michael instructed art at Goldsmiths College, London. During that time Michael instructed- Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume, Damien Hirst, Mat Collishaw, Fiona Rae, Liam Gillick, Simon Patterson, Richard Patterson, Michael Landy, Abigail Lane, Angus Fairhurst, Angela Bullock, and Ian Davenport. Michael returned to Goldsmiths College in 1993 as Millard Professor of Fine Art.
Michael Craig-Martin has a long and impressive list of accomplishments in the world of art: He has served as a Trustee at the Tate Gallery, has done installations for the Projects exhibition series at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (1991) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1994), and has created major wallpainting installations at the Kunstverein Hannover (1998) and at the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart (1999). Michael represented Great Britain at the XXIV Bienal de São Paulo (Brazil) in 1998 due to his dedication and contributions to the artworld.
Brian Sherwin: Michael, when did you first realize that you wanted to be an artist? Can you recall any memories or events from your youth that set you on that path?
Michael Craig-Martin: I decided I wanted to be an artist very young - I was about 12 when I first saw reproductions of 'modern' art. For some reason I realized that art would always be elusive and ungraspable and I knew that that was for me. I met a 'real' artist, the Spanish artist Antonio Roda, when I was 14 and started drawing classes with him. I was very determined but full of self-doubt.
Born in Dublin in 1941, Michael Craig-Martin studied at Yale University School of Art and Architecture in the early 1960s, but has spent most of his working life in Great Britain. Since that time he has shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Britain and internationally, including the definitive exhibition of British conceptual art, The New Art, at the Hayward Gallery (1972).
The impact Michael has had on the world of art is obvious. From 1974 to 1988, Michael instructed art at Goldsmiths College, London. During that time Michael instructed- Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume, Damien Hirst, Mat Collishaw, Fiona Rae, Liam Gillick, Simon Patterson, Richard Patterson, Michael Landy, Abigail Lane, Angus Fairhurst, Angela Bullock, and Ian Davenport. Michael returned to Goldsmiths College in 1993 as Millard Professor of Fine Art.
Michael Craig-Martin has a long and impressive list of accomplishments in the world of art: He has served as a Trustee at the Tate Gallery, has done installations for the Projects exhibition series at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (1991) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1994), and has created major wallpainting installations at the Kunstverein Hannover (1998) and at the Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart (1999). Michael represented Great Britain at the XXIV Bienal de São Paulo (Brazil) in 1998 due to his dedication and contributions to the artworld.
Brian Sherwin: Michael, when did you first realize that you wanted to be an artist? Can you recall any memories or events from your youth that set you on that path?
Michael Craig-Martin: I decided I wanted to be an artist very young - I was about 12 when I first saw reproductions of 'modern' art. For some reason I realized that art would always be elusive and ungraspable and I knew that that was for me. I met a 'real' artist, the Spanish artist Antonio Roda, when I was 14 and started drawing classes with him. I was very determined but full of self-doubt.
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