Artists Interview Artists: Andrew Wodzianski

Andrew Wodzianski, a Washington, D.C. based artist, participates in the Artists Interview Artists Project. Below Andrew responds to another artist's five questions (Nathan Manuel and D.Billy in a joint effort from Washington, D.C.). In order to participate, Andrew had to provide me with five questions for some other artist to answer. The assigning of questions to artists is completely random. If you're an artist and interested in participating, let me know.

By the way, Andrew has a solo show up now at Fraser Gallery in Georgetown. It's worth a trip to see it.

1. In less than 50 words, what makes you want to make things?

I'll write it in three; leave a legacy.

With a little postscript - I have a inexplicable desire to tell stories.

2. What is the worst way in which you've injured yourself or someone else while making art?

Physically; I insisted that a friend punch me in the face so I could have an authentically bruised nose for a self portrait. The blood streaming from the wound also helped the credibility.

Emotionally; I insisted on painting a model I was madly in love with. In many ways, I am still in love with her. But alas, the adoration for my muse was unrequited. She married another. Painting a subject with such emotional weight distracted me from technical and formal issues. The result was a painting that took 24 months to complete. Each time I revisited the canvas, it felt like scars were being ripped open (cue violins)...

3. In your art-making practices, are you a "swooper" or a "basher"? That is, do you zoom in and attack a piece or project working largely on instinct and fine-tune it later, or do you plot things out and get every little bit right before you move on to the next step?

Much like the best man of unique contradictions, James Bond, I am both. As a short elaboration / digression; how can you drink three martinis and still shoot straight? In the studio, I find the conceptual process, as well as; prop hunting, preliminary sketching, photo shooting, and over all "grunt work", to be entirely premeditated. Contrived and plotted are other choice terms. However, painting remains an organic experience. It is subject to change. My under-paintings are done with relative quickness. But because I paint very indirectly, I have ample time to fine tune between glazes.

4. What is the strangest or funniest comment or question you've ever gotten about your work?

During an opening reception ('99), juror Ken Kipperman (I think) remarked that my painting was like, "mixing fine champagne with stale beer." I have no idea what that was in reference to, but I felt the quote worth remembering.

During a critique ('00), Grace Hartigan was observing my latest self portrait. The painting was in direct protest to her earlier dislike of my work. The canvas depicted my backside with a not-so-subtle suggestion to "kiss it." Grace trumped me. She said, "Well Andrew, spatially, the painting sucks. But she has a great ass."

5. Why not purple? (Or, if purple, why not orange?)

I'll spin my answer to the affirmative. I enjoy using purple AND orange. Purple is a relatively new addition to my palette. It's my new "black." Prior to this discovery, I had used a mixture of Prussian Blue and Raw Umber to create dark values. Effective, but a little bland. Now, I use a combination of Prussian Blue and Alizarin Crimson. The result is a deep purple that seems to help my color harmony. Orange? I use it incessantly. I tend to figure paint from the inhumane settings my models are in. That usually means a cramped corner, flooded by gel lights. Those gels are usually reds and yellows, resulting in skin tones that I assimilate with nuclear fall out survivors. In other words, orange. Specifically, red oxide.

Previous Interviews:
Juno Doran (questions by James W. Bailey)
Josh Feldman (questions by Joseph Barbaccia)
Lisa Stephenson (questions by Whitney Lynn)
Joseph Barbaccia (questions by Josh Feldman)
James W. Bailey (questions by Matt Hollis)
Matt Hollis (questions by Juno Doran)
Carol Es (questions by James Leonard)
Alexandra Silverthorne (questions by Ami Lahoff)
Christine Buckton Tillman (questions by Carol Es)
Douglas Witmer (questions by Alexandra Silverthorne)
Sky Pape (questions by Douglas Witmer)
Whitney Lynn (questions by Lisa Stephenson)
Heather Levy (questions by Joanne Greenbaum)
Heather Lowe (questions by Samantha Wolov)
Samantha Wolov (questions by Heather Levy)
Timothy McClellan (questions by Heather Lowe)
James Leonard (questions by Sky Pape)
Joanne Greenbaum (questions by Timothy McClellan)
Richard Kooyman (questions by Robert Walton)
Candy Keegan (questions by Warren Craghead)
Robert Walton (questions by Candy Keegan)
John M. Adams (questions by Richard Kooyman)
Prescott Moore Lassman (questions by Mary Addison Hackett)
Mary Addison Hackett (questions by Prescott Moore Lassman)

Comments

[Andrew]

JT,
Thanks for the post. I'm uncertain which process was more insightful; answering the questions, or making them! Keep up the good work.