Why Do You Paint - N

Photo by Damond Haynes for Beyond Blue

Tell me about the places you’ve lived. One word for each place.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana--birthplace
Heidelberg, Germany--maturation
Mannheim, Germany--ancient
Ft. Belvoir, Virginia--colonial
Ft. Leavenworth Kansas--biased
Oberusel, Germany--quant
Mainz, Germany--punk
Frankfurt, Germany--metropolitan
Tacoma, Washington--suburban
Washington, D.C.--pretentious
Seattle Washington--grungy
Atlanta, Georgia--antebellum
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--decaying
Denver, Colorado--conservative
New York City, New York--inflated

When does art hurt?
There are several instances in which art hurts. For example, art hurts when someone is dismissive of your art or if they dislike your art. Art can also hurt when visiting a gallery or museum and seeing the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cy Twombly or Francesco Clemente and feeling awestruck and overwhelmed by their accomplishment and thinking art on that level is impossible and that they’ve already done everything possible with oils and canvas. Unattainable art hurts. Art that has been priced far out of my reach or art that is displayed in a private collection hurts. The art world can also be hurtful. Reading art critiques are hurtful or witnessing the snobbery of the art world…collectors, gallery owners, museum curators.

If you could do anything right now, what would it be, and why?
I always dream of stability, comfort and familiarity. I envy people who were able to stay in one community during their formative years, and truly have a home base, and a background. If I could do anything right now, I would create a permanent community for myself by forming a band of gypsies consisting of all my loved ones. As an entourage, we would travel the world together (pets and children in tow) by chartered jet and experience different countries and cultures.

The last great album you’ve heard, describe it.
I usually love an album because of the feelings it evokes or because of the musician that created the music…their persona and style. I’m guilty of letting personalities get in the way of my musical tastes. I don’t judge writers or artists based on how messed up their personal lives may be, but musicians are held to a different set of standards. I don’t read Vibe, Rolling Stone of People Magazine for this reason. The less I know about a musician’s personal life, the more objective I can be when listening to the music. So, to the question…the last great album I heard was The Best Best of Fela Kuti. Fela’s album is political and he used his music to criticize his government (Nigeria) and the aristocracy in Africa. He wrote protest music with Afro-beats and call and response lyrics that highlighted (and criticized) government atrocities. Listening to this album forces me to look at my government and where it falls short and all of the suffering covered with smiles right here.

Describe what’s in your bedroom right now.
There are the obvious bedroom staples such as my bed, a closet, a dresser, etc… I also have a red ottoman stuffed with sewing and knitting supplies. I have books staked up on the mantle, next to my bed, on my desk, in a corner…I have lots of books and magazines. My photography stuff is in my room and photographs are displayed.

Why does art matter?
I’m convinced that an aesthetically pleasing environment has a direct positive impact on our disposition. Art is in everything we see. Every man made object went through a design process before coming into fruition. Many of the horrid objects that we have to look at could have been avoided if their architect had put more thought into the design. Art promotes tolerance by establishing varied standards of beauty. Art is anthropological as it gives us a perspective on history, how people lived a various periods throughout time and what they valued. Anyone can participate in art by creating it and or viewing it. If you create a work of art you should invite all of your friends to come over and see it. Most likely, once they see your art, they will want to create art too. So you can share your oil sticks, markers, crayons and glitter glue and create art together. Years from now, when you think of your friend, you can look at their art and remember the place, the time, the feeling…and all of this will have come from art.

Red Light Series - 2 (2003)

Sunday, August 17, 2003 @ 11:08 PM