critical text by Nicola Davide Angerame
VITAOLTREPOP. interview with Andy
by Nicola Davide Angerame
You are known to history as co-founder of Sixpence None The Richer but as
Andy was born painter?
Paradoxically, they are more academically illustrator musician, I
trained as an illustrator and I started my code identifying a leaflet
made of flat backgrounds and black edging, made of synthetic forms of
and summary of the plans. It was something I did so spontaneously. In fact I
to the illustrator and I did a brief stint, then came the music.
As you cross the music?
Knowing Morgan, who was my first teacher of harmony. He
had a more academic path, of the conservatory. When we
had contact in 1988 I was the "sballacomplice. In twenty years
Collaboration I never stopped painting, though.
Influence each other as your music and your art?
I have always enjoyed working with the samples, with sampling. In painting
samples are iconographic of reality, but the mechanism is similar.
I paint the same way I write songs, soundtracks or soundtracks.
Where does your passion for the sampling? Who looks
with interest when you were starting?
Kenny Scharf, and that America of graffiti and street art that produced
underground culture. I liked how he used the regeneration Scharf
taking the forms of memory and then ended up in summary
art galleries. Keith Haring also followed by small, but these names
gone down in history among dozens and dozens of street artists at that time were
cultural undergrowth. Besides them there were Toxic, which I had
the honor of knowing a couple of years ago. Regardless of the American dream
I do not care, I like the fact that the underground culture that could
become mainstream.
Also look at Pop Art, as a source of inspiration?
Maybe Roy Lichtenstein
then an art magazine that had defined as the worst
painter of America?
Yes, I watched a lot of his art as a path operation, even if
level of inspiration I consider myself a surrealist. Cultivate a glance
unconscious, in which the image is the result of codes dream, even when
are often combined with images from television.
Yeah, what was affected by the tv on your creative path?
A lot, remember watching the test pattern for hours, enchanted by his whistle
continuous. I have it carved in the brain. For a child hyperactive and playful
like me, television has meant cartoons. I've seen them all and I
had time to see Gustavo, a simple Polish cartoon of 1974.
Then came all the excitement of Japanese manga, with these heroes that center
with little opportunity to develop my spirituality, because I do not recognize
violence. But for me were giant toys, I was fascinated
as a human being could pull out of the giant androids.
In the eighties, then get the publicity ...
With the fashion, advertising enhances the beauty of women, which is one of
my major obsessions. But the fashion for me was something else. You see, there are
characters that unify the whole iconography, such as Kraftwerk. The
their cover of Men Machine, with those red shirts, trousers and tie
blacks, were the highest point of fashion for me. The Life video
on Mars by David Bowie was. That was the fashion that interested me. I
also liked the work performed under the impressive Thierry Mugler
His fashion shows, stage performances were incredible, it was theater, lights,
sounds, sights. Issey Miyake had invented microplissettati tissues that could
pellet, the dress became a sculpture for the body and into the
contemporary art world. This was the fashion that interested me.
Then, the pinstripe Dolce and Gabbana, who cares.
The eighties were years characterized much as changed
your world after all these years?
I feel that a large ship dropped on the planet. The intuition of a single
once could be pop, folk and that is recognized by many
people, because it represented an intention effectively carried out by a
individual who summarized in his own way the sense of beauty and in that way
so many people recognize. Today we sit at the table to see the segment
market, the target audience and potential buyers, and then figure out what
do. The intuition comes later.
Everything is cooler and less spontaneous?
Even in the art world is so. See which artists are treated as if they were
publicly traded. Even forward-looking names, to Jeff Koons, are subject
zeros. The amount of zeros in the prices of their work makes a difference
even before you see the kind of work. It is a lament, my, but a
finding.
As is seen from outside, which identity takes precedence?
I spoke recently with Jerome Sans. In the art world can
to have recognition in various creative expressions is different
Depending on the backgrounds. If you are labeled as a musician
is a painter you are a fool, while you are an established painter and make performance
with the guitar or drums then you are a genius.
What is a subordination of music than visual art?
No, but I think that art has a stronger credibility. Look at the difference
Italy is in between giving the "master" to say to a musician or a
sculptor. They have a completely different resonance. While in America David Byrne
it's always him, that makes the Talking Heads or her art installations.
And here we touch upon another important figure for you, I guess ...
Yes Bluvertigo and we took him around Milan. I remember that we
Battiato led to see in concert.
And he?
He was puzzled, Franco was a very choreographic tour with Sgalambro
and a beach scene, complete with deck chairs. Also at the concert Byrne
hypertension appeared to be a continuous action in the brain.
Battiato Images that have been an example for you to experiment
electronic music ...
I felt "Pollution" less than it has enjoyed "The voice
master ", which is the complete works of Franco. Made simple something
Overall, it was stronger than any stage of experimentation.
Your painting is marked by the use of fluorescent colors, where does
this choice?
As a child I was struck by the signs for "rent" and "sale". After I found out
30Hertz that the frequency of these colors light up more than others.
And then I turned a teenager in nightclubs and I was fascinated by the lamp
Wood. After discovering how the brain reacts to this type of stimuli has
produced a powerful fascination.
How did Fluon?
I lived with a friend Roberto Bottazzi, designer jewelry, and were within
This dissolute house that was a perfect place to work.
Soil and could prove anything. From this experience,
I created in 1997 with Fabrizio Fluon Grigolo and Thim Veraldi, my manager.
Fluon creative is a station that is modulated according to need.
It can become a studio, an exhibition space for creations and
performance of all kinds. Like the one I propose in this show, made
Mittino with Fabio, a musician who belongs to the school founded Cratf Guitar
by Robert Fripp and based on a different relationship with the guitar.
Your culture has been formed during the birth of disco and then with the
club culture. Today still frequent the discos?
Yes, but dee jay. I like to party in places abandoned. Today there are
interesting things around, even if as before we are in a historical period
where musical creativity is boicottat, the premises are subject to lobbying
red tape made of surveyors and those who approve. Becomes
frustrating. There is interest in disclosing the musical culture and discomfort in
High priority is to music from promoting culture.
How did the decline?
In 2000 the generational change that has interrupted preparation
I noticed when looking for new young, I was walking around the premises.
Then the club need to be changed: they wanted to sell beer and
music no longer mattered, and so on to the cover or Ligabue Vasco. Guilt
even television. If a child I dreamed of seeing Bowie or Depeche
Mode Videomusic today on the younger generations have the tronista and reality
as reference programs.
You live at Monza, where you were born. What is your relationship with the city?
Actually live on the edge of Monza, a city is not prepared to something.
But I was lucky enough to attend art school. It was wonderful to
Energy and climate of the teaching method they had: it was experimental and
allowed the complicity between teachers and students. I remember the bigiavo
class to use the school laboratory where to experiment with the technology,
follow my ideas. Then I studied at the Milan
applied arts, illustration as well as printing technologies. My teacher
Luisa Bono said to me, borders, blacks are your own peculiarities.
The organization is an important aspect of your work multidiscliplinare?
They are chaotic and dispersed adrenal say the Orientals. I have hot flashes
creative tend to disperse. To this have to do with people
that allows me to organize development projects. Without discipline it
to complete one in ten.
In your life took a decisive role skating ...
Yes, the art on wheels. I was taught skating and I invented
a method to teach the rollerblades. Having a competitive engagement
adolescence allows you to have dedication and study something
in detail. It is very useful for what they do to great.
What kind is Andy?
A show-off, since I already put in the altar boys. It was a moment
to show the highest level. I went skating, I liked
only be in the middle of the track, which is the same then get in
scene in concerts or in an exhibition. I like the idea of having to make the most
when all eyes are on you.
But the painting is also very intimate in the sense that you paint in the studio
alone ...
The art is more permanent. The concert ends, the exhibition runs. It is the staging
of what you feel in the studio is open. But if I must say, made me feel
naked in the same way in both activities. It is a psychological intensity and chemical
peers.
Often uses irony in your work, how important to you?
The irony is a great way to get a life and artistic career
satisfactory. All spills from wells that blacks have had, are
dall'autoironia been exalted. I am colorful and expansive, but
arrives when the black cloud is terrible. I'm sensitive and I follow the practices
East to refocus my energy. But the irony I take it very
seriously, in fact, are often very serious when I say "bullshit".
