Saturday, April 18, 2009

What Would Ron English Do? An interview with Ron English about arts & the economy by Greg Walloch

President Barack Obama says the economy is showing “glimmers of hope.” Agit-Pop Artist Ron English is putting the clouds up for sale and fairing the economic tide.

Fact or fiction: Do hard times fuel the creative process and produce more meaningful and innovative work?

No. Money is the root of all art.

Blue Abraham Obama 2008 by Ron English

What is your artist's survival tip for weathering bad financial times?

Raise your prices. Take a year off.


The stock market crashes, captains of industry fall, but does the economy at large actually affect your creative life and livelihood in
a meaningful way?


Not really. I can only make so many paintings and I'm vastly out numbered by collectors. The revolution goes on.

Is necessity the mother of invention?


If inspiration is the father of invention necessity could certainly be the
mother or the aunt or the sister. Yes, I think the she's the mother.


How do you use what you have?

When I'm out of paint I pee in the fireplace and call it performance art.


How does that inform your work?

I don't have to flush.

Would money change everything? If money was no object, how would your work change?

It would be bigger, it would be better, and it wouldn't be
for sale.


Tell me about an upcoming project you are working on that you'd like folks to know about.

I'm going to do this interview for Greg Walloch then I'm going to hire one of those skywriting planes and have them spell out the word cloud twenty times over Manhattan. The words would dissipate and look like actual clouds. These actual clouds will be for sale.