The following is the transcript of a brief interview which took place on May 1, 2008 for the reader's own edification. For further inquiries or to schedule a one-on-one interview and walk-through, please contact Nicky Balestrieri at Mr. Patrick Duffy LLC at : nicky@mrpatrickduffy.com
What is the message Bill has for his audience with this show? Bill is constantly questioning the status quo and with his work he pushes us to do the same, even without us being aware of this.
What inspired this show? From the moment I visited his website whatiswhat.com I knew I had to work with Bill and that I had to make sure his work would be seen by a wide audience.
Why is this show relevant to society and culture today? We are in an era of a hyper availability to connect, even globally, and yet our basic interpersonal communication skills continue to deteriorate. Bill's work makes direct reference to this.
And to New York? New York City is the most diverse city in the world known for the amalgamation of its different cultures and sub-cultures and yet without them loosing their idiosyncrasies; what better place to present his artwork at the place that offers much of the material he works with but also to an audience that may very well be the subject in his work.
Why New York? Bill's art has been strongly influenced by the years he lived in NY. The streets in NY are basically where it all begins. Bill Shannon also has deep connections with street artists, dancers and performers who live in the city. They regularly get together to share what they're doing. It is in a way an underground "salon."
Why a downtown former sweatshop? It is a great coincidence that the ideal space we found also happened to be a sweatshop; but we really did not look for this. We were searching for a handicap accessible space big enough to house a comprehensive exhibition that includes Bill's huge metal sculptures. The space also had to be quite representative of New York about and, of course, location, location, location was important. We wanted to be in the Lower East Side, away from the Chelsea galleries. Not that we have anything against them but we felt it would have been too pretentious of us to put shop in the Mecca of the commercial contemporary art world, even if it was for a month only. On the other hand, Douz and Mille strongly believes that art cannot be presented in a vacuum; in our opinion a "white cube" gallery space almost resembles such a condition for an exhibition such as the one Bill Shannon is preparing. This flexibility, which is actually imposed by the gallery's director - to present contemporary art in context - is what allows us to work with opportunities fortuity has stored for us.
Where did the title of the show stem from? Bill was brought up as an intellectual. His parents were radical political activists who would travel from Pittsburgh to DC to participate in political rallies taking always their sons along. With no TV at home there was no choice but to read, think, play, imagine, explore. Bill's grandmother, Mildred - who was a schoolteacher - was a huge influence on Bill's drive and on his love of words. The title of this exhibition literally comes from one of her [grade school] flashcards that Bill treasures. But, ultimately, I would say that Bill was actually born an artist; with the use of process and materials he has always found a way to express a point of view provocatively.
When and why did Douz & Mille and Bill Shannon come together? I was introduced to Bill's work via two separate ways. It was like "look at this" and then a, "don't forget to look at this!" at a time I was putting together a new media art program for a now defunct art fair that took place in DC in 2007, artDC. I immediately became interested in him as an artist and his work and decided to convince the fair organizers to invite Bill Shannon to do a special presentation. I felt I had to show his work, as it deserves to be shown.
When was your last show and how is it different from this one? I have shown Bill's work with great critical success in art fairs. At Scope Basel in June 2007 we presented "the Invisible Man II" under crazy conditions but we did it. In Scope Miami 2007 Bill completed an installation of single channel video projections that also included some of his drawings, his skateboard and his crutches. When was the last time Bill showed in NY? In September 2006 Bill did a week long street performance sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Culture Council titled "Window," he also presented a traveling presentation at the IFC Center titled "Second the Motion: a Dance of Ideas." Where/when will he show next? Fall 2008 we will present "Traffic," a street performance part of a trilogy that includes "Window," in DC.
How does the gallerist see this show impacting its audience? Bill Shannon's work has many layers. The first and immediate impact his work has on its audience is that it's entertaining. Bill Shannon's work is extremely strong but how it impacts the audience depends on to the audience.
Why should they care? The main reason I represent Bill Shannon is because his work transcends the who, why, what, how, where and when as fundamental queries to the work. Bill Shannon's art is universal and timeless because the audience ultimately is his subject and this allows us to see the why, what, how, where and who we react to with ourselves and with our surroundings.
How do politics and the world today affect Bill's art? Bill's artwork is extremely affected by the state of current affairs and his work is a direct response to the politics in place. Sometimes Bill expresses his point of view in a very direct manner with his use of words and images that make a direct reference to his opinion; however, his selection of non-traditional materials and processes also allow for a more complex execution and interpretation of his work. Even though I see Bill Shannon using his art to voice his point of view I also see him as a neutral carrier of the people's heart and soul for the instant in time he captures either through his performances or while the audience contemplates.
Do you feel that Bill Shannon is a brand? Hell yeah! But totally for the wrong reason. A charisma that sprouts from a pure connection with the Universe (as corny as it may sound) is what makes Bill Shannon a brand. Every single person Bill interacts with automatically has a connection with him either for a real reason or by fabrications based on their assumptions on Bill's condition. But instead of a brand I would rather call Bill Shannon a perfectly imperfect ray of light. We live in a society driven by consumption and we tend to either create a brand or we search to be associated with one. I personally like to be associated with excellence but one concordant with our perfectly imperfect condition of human beings.
Please visit: www.douzandmille.com or call 301.980.9574.
Contact Rody Douzoglou: info@douzandmille.com
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