George Condo: The Way I Think | Louisiana Channel

George Condo was part of the 1980s wild art scene in New York. In this video, recorded in his New York studio, the iconic artist shares his life-long love of drawing and thoughts on his artistic expression, which he describes as “artificial realism.”
”I kind of draw like you’re walking through the forest, where you don’t really know where you’re going, and you just start from some point and randomly travel through the paper until you get to a place where you finally reach your destination.” Condo studied music theory at college but soon realised that it was too formal and rigid for him and that he needed an art form that would give him more freedom. However, he still approaches his art like a musician, working fast and following the rhythm of the drawing or painting without “missing any of the notes.” The tempo, he feels, is very important when it comes to art.
Condo wants his work to contain clear references to the different artists - from Picasso to Velasquez - they’re inspired by, but with a twist. His painting or drawings are about finding a way in which one can capture a person’s humanity through a portrait - capturing not just the outside but also the inside. Moreover, Condo aims to “turn negatives into positives”, portraying “the ordinary characters that make up our lives, whether it’s the janitor or the bus driver or the school teacher or the principal or the mailman or the truck driver. These are not the glamorous people that you see on the cover of Vogue Magazine, but they are what the world is composed of. And to give them a spot in the world is what I always admired about Rembrandt to a certain degree…”
“I love drawing as much as painting, so why not make your paintings from your drawings, but literally have there be no defined sort of hierarchy between the two mediums?” Condo started making “drawing-paintings”, where you can’t distinguish e.g. paint from pastel, or a line made with a paintbrush or a line drawn in from and thus making the two mediums equal: “There’s no real difference between figurative painting or abstract painting, ‘cause it’s all painting, to begin with… You don't’ have to follow any rules as a painter. If you’re making an abstract painting it doesn't mean eventually it can’t morph into a figurative one.”
When a famous art historian asked Condo what he called the form of work he did, Condo thought of the description “artificial realism”. Artificial realism gives the painter the opportunity to go back and paint something in a realistic way while still portraying all that which is artificial in our world. In continuation of this, he finds that now everything seems to be “artificial realism” with the fake news that is all around us: “Art is the truth, and everything else is a lie.”
George Condo (b. 1957) is an American contemporary visual artist working in the mediums of painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking. Condo mixes input from art history’s masters - such as Velasquez, Manet and Picasso - with elements of American Pop Art. He distorts and renews this material so that it stands out and becomes his own: a kind of strange hybrid that blurs boundaries between the comic and the tragic, the grotesque and the beautiful, the classic and the innovative. As part of the wild art scene in New York in the early 1980s, Condo was close to painters such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, and worked for Andy Warhol’s Factory, applying diamond dust to silkscreen. Condo’s work is in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Whitney Museum, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Broad Foundation in Los Angeles, Tate Gallery in London, Centre George Pompidou in Paris and Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, among others. He is the recipient of an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1999) and the Francis J. Greenberger Award (2005). Condo lives and works in New York City.
George Condo was interviewed by Kasper Bech Dyg at his studio in Soho, New York City in September 2017.
Camera: Jakob Solbakken
Produced and edited by: Kasper Bech Dyg
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2017
Supported by Nordea-fonden
#GeorgeCondo #PopArt #ContemporaryArt
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[@thelouisianachannel]

*Get inspired by George Condo's advice to the young right here on our channel:* kzbin.info/www/bejne/joK4f5xnoKhprrM&ab_channel=LouisianaChannel

[@annalorenzoni5502]

Hey can someone help me out- How do you write the authors name he is talking about? 'Degger'? The one he mentions talking about 'self', 'experience' and 'the essence of beeing'? Thanks :))

[@dico787z]

@@annalorenzoni5502 Heidegger!

[@MrMazMazz]

Guys what kind of pen he used in beginning of the video?

[@ivanklymenko]

Thanks

[@startpage717]

@@dico787z Yes. Martin Heidegger- the Nazi

[@star_wars_miniatures]

I’ve watched this video so many many times and I keep coming back to it! 39 minutes of Condo isn’t enough!!!

[@LariWendt]

He makes every stroke with such confidence, never second guessing himself. That's pretty inspiring to me.

[@laurenluck6660]

Larilee there is consistently second guessing. It’s the being comfortable with it being wrong that brings the confidence. :)

[@dg9158]

Yeah, well I don't think you have to hesitate to do something like that, he's basically going ape mode and fucking shit up lmao

[@sentry9834]

That ability comes from having done thousands of drawings. Consistent practice will develop that kind of confidence and ability.

[@jcoolverine3483]

I do the same when I order a cheeseburger with such confidence, never thought to buy something else, now I can be your inspiration too ...

[@lluhu]

That is exactly why he is a poor artist uncapable of making a portait with strength. He seems to me that he is a wealthy guy, with contacts and with lots and lots of blablabla.

[@chrisalfonso5982]

"Art is the truth and everything else is a lie." What an amazing human...

[@northbay4619]

Pretentious statement. This guy said nothing insightful.

[@MrNocturno2401]

Kind of on the line of what Jonathan Meese would say who speaks of the "dictatorship of art".

[@bobbob-kj3ty]

kind of a stupid statement but k

[@bluegoose555]

there is Beauty.. and there is Schlock

[@soundsystem4351]

"Art is the truth, and everything else is a lie". What a great quote.

[@anntonnin]

I believe it's contrary to Picasso's "art is a lie that reveals the truth". I like both approaches.

[@nuascannan]

@@anntonnin I think both ideas are compatible

[@prime201]

This dude just broke every rule my art teachers told me not to break. Especially adding cartoon elements.

[@jediiizen96]

You can't teach art, you can assist development though

[@devinkhoury4490]

i think of art teachers as foundation. not final products. breaking the rules is the only way to make it suprisingly

[@Emcostanza]

My art teacher always said can’t break the rules before you know them

[@SoyJuanManuelChannel]

Your teacher forgot to mention when you finish the course "And now break any rule that i have said"

[@mvj1153]

@@Emcostanza As soon as a baby is born, he's breaking the rules...Until someone teaches him rules.

[@PaulA-px4kx]

George Condo is a brilliant artist, also a very generous one, he shares his vision and approach in tangible ways that most have not - I'm thankful for that....

[@JohnHill]

I love how open he is to every art. Doesn’t seem to judge any of it, especially his own.

[@timtench3334]

So judgement is bad?

[@decadentanciennebourgeoisie]

@@timtench3334 apparently it is smh

[@YR2000Odyssey]

@@timtench3334judgment isn’t always negative but I think it can lead an artist to be limited in what they do and that can be negative

[@ivangraypiece]

lol johnhill? i see how u got inspired by him lol

[@Ty-13]

He's great at explaining his ideas.

[@McChester8]

being a good linguist is crucial

[@bhgentry]

to paraphrase D.Chappelle, he has enough time and money to do something that most americans are not capable of: think about how he feels

[@seigeengine]

Everybody has enough time, and it doesn't take money. They simply choose not to.

[@local-teen]

@@seigeengine Yeah. People use their time poorly. But using time well is a skill.

[@DennisMHenderson]

He doesn't have any ideas

[@pitsburg11]

Boy it’s amazing listening to other artist and hearing how they process and think and how similar it Is to the way you think etc. its actually comforting because you feel less alone.

[@sharontrujillo7793]

Dude....were all HUMAN...everyone is BLESSED with a gift...it's up to the human to figure it out! ☔

[@izillaWeb]

The best 39 minutes and 2 seconds I've spent looking at a screen for a long time. Art is the truth.

[@guruprasadhiremath5155]

It's all a drama one does to act in the society. It's acting. These people are influenced. It's not their og.

[@angelocaudle93]

Timothy Lee I like that.

[@Sur742]

Art is the lie who tells truth...that said Picasso

[@194koko]

MarkDavies definitely !!! 🙌🏼

[@rainmanakathabeattenderize9812]

Timothy Lee bro you’re so cringy.

[@notbatman1001]

Forbidden laughter is the most irresistible.

[@timewaster4929]

I come back to this documentary over and over again with new feelings every time.

[@Lilith701]

My father lived with DeKooning and his wife for some time after they both got out of rehab. He would sit in the barn and watch, smoke and chat while DeKooning painted. At times they would sit in silence for lengths of time while DeKooning stared at his work, from time to time rising to add a stroke or two to the work. My dad said it would take him months or longer to complete a painting. My dad said he could never understand how DeKooning knew when the painting was finished. DeKooning said he knew when he had no more ideas to put in it. My dad was not an art guy, so you can imagine what he must have been thinking.

[@TrevK0]

i come back every once and awhile to watch this, so great. thank you!

[@LSCraftyCreations]

He made me feel like I’m not crazy as an Artist, I love creating art and putting it together like a puzzle with a wondering mind. I see the world very colorful, fun and magical even when it’s not like that and that’s the type of art I like to create. Thank you for making me feel like my creative mind is not mental but just creative.

[@mrkrabs3845]

I swear this is one of the most valuable videos on youtube...a glimpse in the mind, studio, and work flow of one of the most interesting n prolific artists of this time

[@amama5134]

THANK YOU!!!!! to the artist, the interviewer, cameraperson, the uploader, youtube, my computer.

[@amama5134]

@Tauqir Reza توقیر رضاof corse, thaaank yooou for beeing nice!!!!!!!!!

[@strippyfire001]

This seriously aligns with my vision of art. It's great to hear someone put into words everything in my mind about this. This video encapsulates everything that a lot of the world doesn't understand about art. There is no ''better'' art, there are no rules to art. Art is pure self-expression and that is what makes it the truth.

[@hypno5690]

weird how the artists who cant draw and paint well insist that all art is equal LOL

[@april6081]

that was literally therapy

[@AtticAurel]

yes! - like a meditation!

[@alexloweh1]

have never heard of Condo but im very now influenced by the way he explains art.

[@Drawing-Life]

Drawing as a thinking, this is such a great example of visual language of an artist

[@lisengel2498]

I like the metaphor of drawing “ kind of like you walk through a forest ....” and I like the focus on tempo and the meaning in the process....and very interesting to listen to the journey from abstraction into realism - and I truly enjoy the freedom possibility in art - that you do not have to follow any rules - you can play with them and use thectransformation that is possible from using different languages at the same time - and something happens And I truly like the play with languages of isms - and the funny thought that today everything is a kind of artificial realism and that art is about true experience -

[@fastfoodart5552]

love george condo..you are great maestro in contemporary art...art now...triple best top

[@elsagrace3893]

George Condo! You gave me an answer. Drawing painting! God Bless you and I thank you greatly.

[@MichaelAnthonyMital]

Condo is a genius...the part about how he merged his drawings and made them as big and important as a large scale paintings was fascinating to me. Why is their a hierarchy in the first place? Merging the two mediums creates a whole new style of modern art

[@HarmonixHealing]

Listening to Condo speak was like enjoying a superb meal.... In that, I didn't want it to end. I always appreciated his work, but after listening to him express himself... I have even more respect for him & his work.

[@MrPhotodoc]

It is hard to know what is real or not today. Yet truth and beauty are always revealed in the end.

[@CarolineVisArtGallery]

Just dicouvered this channel great to enjoy!

[@emitch9213]

I am impressed.

[@shutupandance]

"Beauty is what pleases without interest" -brilliant!

[@chromberries7329]

It's so satisfying watching him at work. Also never seen abstract anime, so that's a first.

[@victormorgado5318]

The first time I saw George's Condo's work was in a gallery in Paris in 1984. I had just arrived from New York to push my career as a painter in France. I always wandered how a 27 year old from some mountainous region had made it to that gallery. Everyone having any kind of success in those days was below 30 years of age.

[@stanislavzippe7386]

Victor Morgado v

[@chefmerricktv]

What does he drawing on? I know what kind of oil marker he’s using but is that canvas or paper?

[@Rebelliousrefinement]

I really resonate with how he describes how he paints, he's very good at explaining himself

[@Teenywing]

I loved this interview so much. I love listening to him! I can’t imagine having a work of his. Fascinating stuff. ♥♥♥

[@michaelpea3742]

The DeKooning comment made sense to me. This helped me. Thanks Condo

[@Against_all_Systems_of_Control]

He throws this up in some minutes. Genius shit for real. ❤

[@taylorburkum]

I just found George while searching for great artist documentaries while I work in my studio. LOVE this dude! He's the kind of artist I strive to be as a person. Very likable, has a great eye, not perverse for the sake of shock-factor. Really enjoyed finding this. Thank you, George!

[@jukerdanz]

Terrific interview, he is very articulate and a wonderful draftsman.

[@frncscbtncrt]

Julie Delves do you know what a draftsman is? How can you consider this man a “wonderful” one? Have you seen a Dürer, perhaps? He is a “wonderful” draftsman

[@blackeesh463]

@@frncscbtncrt Condo is by all means a great draftsman,you can see his talent in his dinosaur sketches when he was 6 years old. Dürer is a "once in a few hundred years" kind of draftsman.

[@hypno5690]

hes a horrible draftsman the hell are you talking about

[@KBD-ONE]

A modern day hero. He can draw. He went to college but dropped out after 2 years. He did not let the European psychological historical acknowledgement mess with is skills. He just said f-- it. If I can paint/draw already, what do I need to go to art school for!! I have a Bsc. in Computer Science, and now I paint. So that's it.

[@Chris-wb7wf]

using Oil sticks is so liberating (fire emoji x3)

[@CesarCordova]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@AkakaDomenjer]

Was just thinking I should get myself that.

[@taylorj6177]

Thank you for answering my question :) !

[@devinkhoury4490]

yeah ive been really into them lately glad to see others using them

[@iliveinarichgirlsdream]

Art

[@jengreely8729]

So many people have asked what he’s using to make these ‘drawing-paintings’ - the thick smooth drawing media are Pigment Sticks by R&F Paints. It’s like oil paint in stick form. Other paint manufacturers make them and have different names for them (oil bar, oil stick, etc.) but R&F Paints make the smoothest most buttery ones.

[@reach4thesports897]

Thank you!

[@nancyreese80]

Thank you!!!!

[@insavagemode181]

The first Artist i can truly relate to. The way he explain things is just so fascinating and authentic i have a big appreciation for this Genius.

[@INTERpEST]

I love George’s work, to me, he is one of the greatest.

[@YourSuperProductsReviewed]

Condo is a great Artist and seems like a great guy to boot!

[@rogerwilliams4742]

This is my first time seeing his work and hearing his thoughts and I am absolutely a fan now! Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention.

[@Jennwiggs]

Really interesting, and I love how his art reflects his mind.

[@forbesartworks5427]

One of the greatest CONDO

[@coreycox2345]

Thanks for this introduction to George Condo. I am impressed.

[@cauldronofburgers]

I come back to this video all the time. I absolutely love the urgency he has to just make stuff with whatever's around. Obviously, the pages were set up for the video but I'm referring to the simplicity of a piece of paper, some kind of drawing utensil and the right attitude.

[@guacamole9199]

Love his work, especially that one done throughout the interview.

[@masonhaley9039]

that will sell for 30k easy SMH crazy

[@kerstinkuntze]

I could listen for hours to him .. big love.

[@isaacchristensen8176]

Ugh! Gertrude Stein's Picasso! Thank you Condo for saying words that resonate deeply and help me feel less an alien in this philistine world obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses.

[@aurelia160]

I love the way he speaks about art

[@UnbelievablyGauche]

I love how I was getting used to the all-black/white feeling, then he just introduced the lilac

[@Schizonoise]

How confidently George draws lines, like a printer. I have never succeeded in this, I don’t even know where my line will end🎈

[@internet-gangsta2162]

The Prisoner piece is my favourite,it spoke to me even more when he explained this work that is unbearably relatable to my life...Art is life.

[@paulobrennan7099]

I just ran across this interview. I really enjoyed the entire thing. Thanks George for being so candid and understandable. I am also an artist and I call all art abstraction because what we paint is an illusion or an abstraction of our mind.

[@irvsantana8227]

He’s one of my favorite artists this was amazing

[@Zaidemeit]

I was painting in oil at 14 years old. It was never the mess George Condo described it to be!! I'm 72 year old, btw!!!

[@katherandefy]

I would be so proud of him if he were my kid. Dear goodness. Enjoyed his conversation.

[@jdncoke2]

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS GUY! Thanks for this x

[@ScottHaley12]

Sheer genius...his Art, and his thoughts on humanity, Art, and artificiality. Kudos!

[@marielaacconcia1126]

Love it!!! Most of the things he said represents my thoughts about art. Art is a wonderful world, and it has place for everyone!!

[@alteredstatereflecti]

Wow!!!! This is the first time I heard of George Condo. He is brilliant amazing!

[@AI-xs4fp]

I admire his unique vision and approach. He is very eloquent in explaining his mindset. Wonderful work.

[@cliffordl.2943]

Brilliant artist. Great talk. Thank you for this.

[@chineainguanzo6341]

A great artist,as genuine as can exist! I love his style and his work.

[@chadarracks]

Dude, his dinosaur drawings are crazy for how young he was.

[@Omniscientley]

you're an true inspiration George. i hope our paths cross someday

[@laurarader6846]

George Condo is always one of my "go to" inspirations. Even more so after watching this articulate and expressive telling of his early influences and his point that painting is no hierarchy to drawing ( yes!). I will watch this video again. Thanks, George Condo, for sharing your views. Now, back to my drawing table...

[@ravindrajahagirdar2701]

Very electrifying experience to see Mr George Condo at work. Equally brilliant is the way he explains his approach to drawing and painting,his thoughts and how he arrived at them. Definitely an active brain in there,so alive,so articulate. You are alert and want to catch everything. I feel inspired. Thank you,Sir. It is a rare experience to hear you and see you. Thank you again and again.

[@Frank79811]

watching him talk and draw is good for the soul.

[@modfus]

He's very engaging, I like him. I haven't been a huge fan of his work but it is interesting. After watching this I now see there is more depth to his work than I initially thought. He is well educated on art history .....which is not so common among contemporary artists.

[@dp_stt]

I love this interview. Thank you very much!!!

[@mga9999]

I love the way Condo thinks and works. I would love to see his work in person; even more, I would love to own one of his pieces. He knows his stuff. He knows the vernacular. I think he's brilliant.

[@saraswatisky3119]

Really beautiful.

[@alishbodar8687]

thank you so much for your existence sir...

[@shellisannes464]

I loved to feel like I was taking part in this docent led tour by the artist. Thank you so much for this channel .

[@esahutske]

I would love to spend an afternoon with this man. Fascinating mind and wonderfully talented. Inspired to “get to work” ! Thanks

[@pennynikkel9542]

Amazing. Thank you George.

[@freewithnature]

I really enjoyed his viewpoint and agreed. 😊 thanks!

[@aaimba]

It's so refreshing to experiences the artists process of creating an artwork and having some insights of the work and thought process. We've started a conversations series with diverse artists ourselves at our website and our KZbin channel. Louisiana Channel has been an inspiration for us throughout. Amazing work.

[@thelouisianachannel]

Thank you so much! The best of luck with your new channel ❤️

[@stefanfredericwalz2022]

great interview, anyone able to just work while being filmed and not be at all phased by that, showcases how pure Condo is as an artist, even within his own conversation.

[@yupolch-abstractartsession7610]

George is very inspiring. Thank you!

[@constablebentonfraser5014]

Ooooo I like this tempo idea. Very nice to hear this guy talk.

[@FTLCKR]

RIP POP SMOKE. "George Condo, cost more then your condo, wait"

[@MJILLUSTRATES]

Great interview. Thank you! :)

[@veroniquejeannedemarbre5630]

I like the way George Condo does draft and paint and his manner of thinking related to what is art today. Many thanks for sharing this interesting and instructive interview.

[@gt4real377]

The human condition to create is Art , beautiful lesson

[@mattkaczmarczyk6953]

this was so deep, especially about him experiencing music

[@shealafredrick4122]

Thank you,sometimes I feel like an alien. When I hear George say things I have thought, I don't feel alone.

[@Hurious]

Enjoyed this. Loved his articulacy. Thanks.

[@mimo98]

Great to listen to what great artists think and how they approach their work

[@jahhah6719]

Mr. George Condo is so well spoken... Great abstract painter and cartoonist

[@freddyfelipe5047]

Jahha H i mean... You know...i mean....you know...i mean ...you know during an hour Is it well spoken?

[@jahhah6719]

Freddy Felipe Gutierrez well you know, if that's all you heard then that's what you got from it. Doesn't take away from my opinion. 👍

[@grunntalll]

Very inspirational. It made me think and pick up a pen

[@oxclan3149]

grunntalll was he using some kind of a marker

[@grunntalll]

?

[@oxclan3149]

grunntalll what tool is this artist using

[@OrangevayaMysh]

oil pastels i guess, at least for the piece he was making in the video

[@terranceregan936]

oil stick! they are like a larger (and smoother) oil pastel. Check out works by basquiat and richard serra and see how expressive this material is - so much fun to blast out large drawings. - oh and also super cheap!

[@SJawaher]

I love his confidence and owned inspiration, very intresting to absorb such authenticity.

[@missk8264]

One of my favourite artists. :)

[@pierrepastel]

Beautiful soul George is. Wonderful Artist. Very inspiring and touching.

[@Cristobal138]

This video is gold, such a natural and interesting artist he is.

[@lotusspider7]

it's amazing that this was recorded in 2017 while the comments that he makes are even more relevant today around what is real and what is perceived as real 33:24

[@Cristobal138]

@@lotusspider7 yes I agree

[@nuascannan]

👾 He is

[@ManryLion]

About the "don't need to follow any rules " very refreshing for me as just at my beginning of art gurney.. I .quite often afraid to do smth not "by the rules" :) thank you for that video. And also my admire of how confident all lines were done ❤