Arts
In David Altmejd’s new solo show at Andrea Rosen, the artist supersized his Plexiglas vitrine sculptures into a monumental shrine to time that fills an entire room of the gallery. We caught up with Altmejd over email to discuss his elaborate creations, his next show, and Courbet.
What sources of inspiration do you look to in the creation of your characters? Science fiction? Mythology?
Each character offers me a space to explore specific relationships with material and space. For example the “bodybuilder” is a body that shapes itself by moving matter around with its own hands. He can grab material from his thigh and drag it up to his head to make it bigger. If he displaces a lot of matter upward, and makes it accumulate behind his shoulders, he will create wings and become a “watcher” (angel). The “werewolf “ is a body, inside of which I can explore and create tensions. I find that kind of body/space very energetic. The “giant” is a figure that becomes a space (architecture, landscape). These are just a few examples.
You’ve brought together figures you define as being from the past, present, and future. Why define the objects in those specific temporal moments?
It’s an experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if I mixed characters that have never existed together in the same landscape. I had the intuition that it would be quite dramatic. It ended up being quite harmonious. They each defined their own role.
What project are you working on now?
Some sculptures for a show at Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
What’s the last show that you saw?
Josephine Meckseper at Andrea Rosen Gallery.
What’s the last show that surprised you? Why?
At the Metropolitan Museum, “Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156-1868” — especially the helmets and swords. It was a new world that I didn’t know.
Describe a typical day in your life as an artist.
Work all day at the studio, go home, order in, watch TV, try to sleep.
Do you make a living off your art?
Yes.
What’s the most indispensable item in your studio?
Space.
Where are you finding ideas for your work these days?
In the mistakes that happen while making my work, and in nature.
Do you collect anything?
Painting.
What is your karaoke song?
I’ve done it once. I forget what I sang. I’d love to do it again though. I’m sure I could do a mean Bjork.
What’s the last artwork you purchased?
A Piotr Janas painting.
What’s the first artwork you ever sold?
“Young Men With Revolution On Their Mind,” 2002.
What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw happen in a museum or gallery?
I flirted with a guard in the Rijksmuseum. We didn’t talk. We just followed one another through the rooms. At one point, he got real close and brushed his hand against my ass. My heart was beating so fast. I guess that’s more exciting than weird. It was definitely unexpected. That kind of thing never happens to me.
What’s your art-world pet peeve?
Eye-rolling. There’s a lot of it.
What’s your favorite post-gallery watering hole or restaurant?
Random.
Do you have a gallery/museum-going routine?
No.
What’s the last great book you read?
“Poodles (Barron’s Complete Pet Owner’s Manual),” by Joe Stahlkuppe.
What work of art do you wish you owned?
Courbet’s “The Origin of the World.”
What would you do to get it?
Fuck the right people.
What international art destination do you most want to visit?
Lascaux.
What under-appreciated artist, gallery, or work do you think people should know about?
Lucas Samaras.
Who’s your favorite living artist?
Daniel Hesidence.
What are your hobbies?
Reality TV and poodles.
-- by Ashton Cooper
