Artists can be fickle. It’s almost like they have multiple personalities at times.
I met up with Karim Awad (an American artist living in Canada), in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, New York in the United States of America.
I’d heard of him from a few friends-of-friends and was a bit apprehensive to talk to him. The following took place from 10:36 AM to 11:15 AM and has been edited to remove adult language, racial slurs and short violent outburts.
Karim: So, how’s it going?
Karim:Why do people ask that? Do you really want to know? Should I REALLY tell you ‘How it’s going?’? …. It’s fine. I’m tired but I like New York. It’s really cold though. It’s going fine.
K: Right… As an artist, you must love all the museums and galleries. What have you seen this trip?
K: I went to the MoMA yesterday. They’ve finished the renovations. It costs $20 to get in and although they almost ruined it all with one sin, it’s a fantastic new space…
K: A sin?
K: Yeah. The Dance by Matisse is essentially hung in a stairwell. What’s up with that? The painting is a flowing mix of movement, colour and form and they throw it on a wall where you can really only see it from either the bottom of the stairway, or over the heads of people going up or down. Seriously. I thought about writing a letter but… well, you know.
K: Um, you got lazy?
K: No… i thought they might keep it on file and then I’d have no chance of getting any paintings in there.
K: Oh.. you think you have a shot at getting your work in the Museum of Modern Art?
K: I did before this interview. Fine… you’re right. I’ll write that letter tomorrow. Those bastards.
K: They have some pretty memorable pieces there. Anything catch your attention?
K: This trip through I came to a realization, an epiphany really…
…
K: Which was…
K: This is your first interview isn’t it… I was pausing for effect. Cripes. [loud 10 second sigh] So, before you jump in again, my realization was that a lot of the paintings which are considered “masterpieces” [note: even though masterpieces was said with a differing inflection, he actually did the finger quotes.. what a dork] really are masterpieces. I mean, Starry Night.. holy hot damn. That’s one fantastic picture. And Picasso’s Musicians are just brilliant. The Pollack room, the Rothkos, pick a De Kooning, Still, Newman, Kline, Warhol… the MoMA has them all.
If you’ve ever flipped through an art book, the MoMA has about 80% of the paintings in the damn thing. It’s really fantastic. And these paintings which are significant really do create what we see today. They are the history of art. Art freakin’ history.
But I guess I didn’t answer your question… no, nothing really jumped out at me.
K: So, what does jump out at you right now?
K: Phil (Delisle) and Ben (Van Dyk) are probably painting some awesome stuff… and any other friends of mine are probably being awesome too. I haven’t been around much recently or been to any openings. Most other stuff is really bad.. .or boring… or way better than mine, so I have to act like I “appreciate it” [agian with the quotes] but critique it harshly. Then I just act like I hate that stuff to be more “artsy” [this guy really has to stop that]
K: Let’s talk about your art. What are you working on these days.
K: I have a few stretchers that need canvas and I’ve been too busy with other stuff to really build up the energy to possibly, maybe, start to work on getting those ready. But the other stuff is going well… there’s this online ‘zine I’ve been working on. But visually, all i’ve done recently is this. [hands me a napkin]
K: Um, are these sketches for a new series?
K: Nope. That’s it. I figure the future of art is pen on napkin. It really is a classic, yet underappreciated medium, which makes it modern or post-modern, or post-post-modern.. I forget where we are these days.
K: This is quite a departure.
K: You sound like a dick. Isn’t departure from what I normally do good? I can’t win with you critics.
K: Hey… I’m not a critic. I just meant that your other paintings are all painted with quite a lot of paint, lots of layers and are um… more substantial.
K: More substantial? Dude… that’s retarded. This is substance. You are looking at gravity. Behold the face of God. This is the future of art. This is genius wrapped in awesomeness with a side of kick ass. Either get on board, write up an awesome interview expounding on the future of art or just give up. If you can’t reliaze what I’m doing, then you don’t even get to look at it [steals back the napkin and rips it in two pieces]
…
And now it’s done… Exactly as I had hoped.
K: Um, but I guess now it’s a collaboration… what’s my cut? [I start to laugh but Karim isn't amused]
K: Damn it. What?!… I’m not sharing any profits with you. This interview is over…
[gets up and leaves]
[comes back..]
Don’t make me look like a dick… ok?
K: I’ll, um, try.
Karim leaves.
K: sheesh… what a dick.
To view Karim’s paintings check out http://www.karimawad.com. His napkin series isn’t online yet.
