Andrew Kuo
Andrew Kuo is a designer and artist living in New York City.
Your charts are like a diary, very personal and honest, and very relatable. when did you start making them?
Hm, at this point I’ve been making them for maybe 6 years? Or 7? I could find out but it might be depressing to know.
What about the chart format appeals to you?It’s a way for me to talk about more than one thing at once, literally plotting one idea against the other within the same eyeshot. I wear glasses so I am inclined to be X, Y and Z axis obsessed. And also, this may sound really weird, but I think about the idea of paint a lot and these charts let me talk about that?
Are there emotions that are too abstract represent in a chart?I don’t think anything is too abstract, it just depends on how much you are willing to talk about something. Some emotions are more interesting than others, but that’s a different (and more uncomfortable) conversation.
Do you ever find it difficult to put your work into the public?Yes. Some of the work gets really personal. I try not to think about it in studio, but I’ll go back to work I’ve shown and not be so sure I should’ve gone there. On the other hand, life’s short! Cap’n Jazz was a great band!
I love your music graphs and charts in the Times. They must be mentally exhausting to create. Can you enjoy an album after analyzing it?Thanks! Some of them are easier to make than others. I can definitely enjoy an album after breaking it down- moreso sometimes. Destroyer put out a great album this year called “Kaputt,” that was so dense with imagery and wordplay. I made a quick little book about the lyrics and sounds hoping it would help me think about it in a different way than listening to it. So I guess I like making things about things so I can enjoy them more (or less).
Along with visuals you do a lot of narrating. Do you write?
Sometimes for days all I do is write, but it’s not like I’m working on “Moby Dick 2.” It’s Twitter, texting, blogging, instant messaging, Post-It notes to myself, etc. Also, I have a few friends I email at length frequently. I’m sure they wish I wouldn’t.
What writers do you like?
Of course I love David Foster Wallace. M.F.K. Fisher writes awesome words about food. So does Sam Sifton. I enjoyed Michael Lewis’ “Moneyball” so much. Who’s mad at Joan Didion? I wish I liked Bill Simmons’ writing more, but his podcasts are where he seems like he’s having the most fun. Kelefa Sanneh, who wrote the intro for my book, is an awesome writer for the New Yorker. Is Chris Ware considered a writer? If he is, he’d be one of my favorites for sure.
What/who are you inspired by for your graphical works
Rothko! Barnett Newman! I literally copy Josef Albers paintings. Frank Stella is cool. Bridget Riley! Peter Halley is awesome. Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, and Gary Hume are also artists that I “borrow” moves from. That was the art school answer to that question. The stoner answer to would be: the Interweb, TV, and New York City.
Have you ever thought about making films or putting your work into motion?
I have! I enjoy thinking about moving images, shapes, colors and sounds all at once at the same time, but who doesn’t?
New Blog
Hey All!
RxArt is pleased to announce it’s new blog and website! Huge thank you to No Favorite for their hard work and talent! Please check it out here:
SNAPS: Tacia Dean
Who: Betewen the Lines 2 coloring book artist Tacia Dean!
When: Today
Where: Tate Modern in London!
Nick Cave ‘For Now’ at Mary Boone Gallery
RxArt paid a visit to For Now at Mary Boone Gallery, part of the Soundsuit exhibition by friend and artist Nick Cave. Part Where the Wild Things Are, part Hayao Miyazaki, the show offers a glimpse into a world of fantastic and surreal characters. The suits, wearable sculptures up to 8 feet tall, are made out of wood, fur, yarn, stuffed animals, and every found object imaginable.
The sculptor and performance artist has two shows running simultaneously – For Now at Mary Boone and Ever-After at Jack Shainman. See both while you still can!
For Now at Mary Boone Gallery, 541 W. 24th St., Opening September 10, through October 22. http://www.maryboonegallery.com
NY Art Book Fair
RxArt stopped by Printed Matter’s annual Art Book Fair at MoMA PS1. There was a lot to see, we took photos of a few select books. See below!
Exhibition A booth featuring RxArt’s new coloring book - Between The Lines, Vol. III
Ed Templeton’s Teenage Kissers at the Seems booth
Signed Jack Walls zine
Sol LeWitt
Ryan McGinley’s second zine, The Kids Are Alright
Moonmilk
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” -Ryan McGinley.
First edition print, Keith Haring.
Bad Day, Issue 11 featuring Mike Mills and Andrew Kuo.
RxArt Pop Up Shop!
RxArt is having a Pop-up shop! Come for art, refreshments, and knockout discounts!
Kick off party: Thursday, Nov 3rd 6PM-8PM
Fri + Sat, Nov 4th-5th 10AM-6PM
Sun, Nov 6th 12PM-6PM
HALF GALLERY
208 forsyth st.
New York, NY
RxArt Benefit Gala 2011
RxArt had it’s annual Benefit Gala at the Highline Stages, sponsored by CHANEL Beauté and hosted by Jen Brill, Poppy Delevingne, Leigh Lezark, Caroline Sieber, and Vanessa Traina. We had an incredible evening which included a cocktail party and an exclusive auction featuring some of the most sought after names in contemporary art. We couldn’t have asked for better friends, artists, and guests. Thank you to all who came! See photos below:
Miranda July
José Parlá
Leo Fitzpatrick
Aurel Schmidt
Ed Templeton
Ryan Foerster
Nate Lowman
Diane Brown
Poppy Delevigne, Jen Brill, Vanessa Traina, Caroline Sieber
Aurel Schmidt
Olivia Kim
Derek Blasberg, Lazaro Hernandez
Chrissie Miller, Cassie Coane, Leo Fitzpatrick
Terry Richardson, Bill Powers
See more photos Here!
Snaps: Mark Borthwick
Who: Mark Borthwick
When: Last night
Where: Nuit Blanche Night Light Art Festival
photo: Allen Ying
Snaps: Andrew Kuo
RxArt and Andrew Kuo getting our technology on at Taxter and Spengemann gallery.
Night Scented Stock a surreal three-story, five-room show curated by Todd Levin that featured haunting offerings from 67 artists ranging from Matthew Barney to Hans Bellmer, showed Wednesday at Marianne Boesky gallery.
The title draws it’s name from a nocturnal flower. Once night falls, the Night Scented Stock emits an intoxicating aroma which lures an array of night’s creatures – insects, bats, moths and birds – with its scent.
Among the artists showing were RxArt friends Aurel Schmidt and Diane Al-Hadid. The show presented a wide variety of work but the common thread that tied it all together were themes of the grotesque and fantastic.
Go see it while you still can!
“Night Scented Stock,” curated by Todd Levin, at Marianne Boesky Gallery, 118 East 64 St., Opening September 14, through October 22. marianneboeskygallery.com
