Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born in NYC in 1972. I grew up right outside the city in Rockland County. My pops had an apartment in the east village in the 80's so I spent a lot of time as a kid running around downtown NYC. This sparked my romance with this city here and I am sure this had a profound impact on the direction my life took.
I moved back to Manhattan after finishing school up in Boston in 95 and I have been living in the East Village for the past 15 years.
What is it that you do? What media do you use?
My work has many different media and approaches. I love the darkroom for black and white silver printing and painting. I also make sculpture and love to plan installation projects. I love wood, plaster, video, music. I have no intention of being reliant on a single media to satisfy my need to create.
What do you think sets your work apart?
Apart? From other art? I am not sure except that I can only be sure of my personal vision and execution of these ideas. I do not spend too much time considering my differences, better or worse, these are pointless and narcissistic distractions. I have been banging on the door in my head for the past 20 years and I am still hoping that I am developing. I have many influences and places that haunt my memory which reaches into my work. Its not so important to me to a different thing. I will repeat others as I repeat myself at times. Emulation and homage comes into play with so many types of art and behavior. I enjoy the similarities in the sense if a collective unconsciousness.
How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”
I believe my first exhibit I participated in was in 1993. There have been several different sized breaks on my journey so far. Each one having its highlights and disasters. I do try to learn of course from all of them. But it comes down to a chemistry between myself and the people I work with. One of the greatest boosts to my work and personal relationship with my work was when I started to work collaboratively with a greater intensity in 2005. This was when the collaboration group The Goldmine Shithouse started with myself, Colin Burns and Travis Lindquist. This was one of the greatest learning expiriences. But there were so many others along this road that played huge parts for me.
Working with Les Baraney for years, working with the Corey Helford Gallery in LA, having the Strychnin Gallery in Berlin take me under their wing and introduce me to a demographic that I would not have been able to reach without them.
The need to survive is a big fire under my ass. The passion in my peers, lovers. The people I live with who are great artist like Marcus Poston and Patrick Wood. And the people I have had in my life for the past 20 years who have also been through so much in their search to realize their dreams.
What have you been working on recently?
I recently got back from a 3 week residency in Japan which the Strychnin Gallery set up for me. I mentioned a year ago to them that I wanted to do a series about Japanese ghosts, legends and spirits. They set it up so I could go and photograph people there and have the chance to absorb some of the culture first hand. Now I am preparing the works to be shown in June next year in Berlin.
Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?
Almost always. There is just so much. Depending on the work I am doing and the mood which helps, I can go with the Melvins, the Fall, Telescopes, Hawkwind, Echo and the Bunnymen, Roxy Music, Pink Floyd, Nick Cave, Einstürzende Neubauten, i love old ska, roots, chamber music and jazz.
Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?
Yes As I said before, I do like to sculpt. And although the energy put into these projects is different the ideas and pieces seem to spawn from the same well as the paintings and collages.
What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?
Investigate for places you want to show, which seem to showcase the feeling that is conducive to your own works and engage them. Go to their openings, meet the directors and artist who show their. In the end the best places to show are where you can form a productive relationship with the directors and curators.
Work along side other artist if you can. Push yourself to experiment in other media, take advice sometimes and give it back. Do what you can to help others and learn.
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Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?
I will be showing the first couple of works from my Japan Obake project in October at Art 21 in Cologne, Germany.
My next gallery show will be in 2011 in Berlin at Strychnin Gallery.
Where can people see more of your work on the internet?
Well there is
and the galleries which I work with...
http://www.strychnin.com/_new/_html/fs_cont.html
http://www.yashayoung.com/
http://www.coreyhelfordgallery.com/
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