Laurie Anderson Interview: A Life of Stories

Listen to the story of how Laurie Anderson became the iconic multimedia artist she is today, why she prefers to keep things simple, and how she began telling stories as a child - and never stopped: “I try to make stories that really engage my mind.”
When Anderson started out as an artist, she was aware that you don’t necessarily need impressive or expensive gear in order to succeed: “I was trying to do something on the right scale - something that you can do yourself.” She began as a painter and sculptor and started playing the instruments she made while making little films, which she would show to a small group of artists. This enticed her to try to get her films out into a wider audience in the mid-1970s by doing “these little shows” at different venues.
“Switch ‘the’ to ‘a’ and the world changes.” Anderson argues that you begin to get a sense of the mystery of the world by a simple device such as switching articles. In continuation of this, she likes playing with language, e.g. by inventing the text software ‘Erst’, where sounds from instruments trigger language: “It’s made for the part of you that never speaks. That is always just watching and not voicing or putting things into words.” She consequently realized that she was able to use words in this way as “everyone’s so used to multitasking.” However, she hopes that we get slower - before we implode: “Slow for me is deeper.” Furthermore, Anderson doesn’t aim to make anyone feel better through storytelling, but rather to create stories that engage her mind: “Secretly, I do think that stories can cure you … but you have to find out what’s wrong first.”
Laurie Anderson (b. 1947) is an internationally renowned experimental performance artist, composer, musician and film director, based in New York. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson became widely known outside the art world with her single ‘O Superman’, which reached number two in the UK pop charts in 1981. She is considered a pioneer of electronic music and is praised for her unique spoken word albums and multimedia art pieces. Among her most recent work is the film ‘Heart of a Dog’ (2015). For more about Anderson see: www.laurieanderson.com/
Laurie Anderson was interviewed by Christian Lund at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark in May 2016.
Camera: Rasmus Quistgaard
Edited by: Klaus Elmer Madsen
Produced by: Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
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[@TinyDancer250]

I can totally see why Lou Reed fell madly in love with her, and David Bowie was a dear friend and admirer.

[@adamamram3017]

"Very dangerous art can be made with a pencil." ....Incredible interview, full of insight and generosity to artists with an open mind. Thanks Laurie, and thanks to Louisiana Channel for the sharing of this wonderful content.

[@mcglass7573]

Grateful you posted this Louisiana Channel

[@yeshmanthiekanayake7487]

Humbleness I find to be the most attractive. And this was so beautiful.

[@mcglass7573]

yes

[@plantefitch]

This is soooooo amazing. She is. "It's poetry and art that are the engine." "Stay loose." "Let your own obsession rule your art." What brilliance. And generosity. "I am an artist because I want to be free." Yes. "Curiosity about being the world."

[@annaleeorr237]

Laurie Anderson is one of the GREAT artists of our time!! Her influences are everywhere! She is wonderful!

[@tomallen5837]

That was the most relaxing 24 minutes I have had in a long time. Thank you Laurie.

[@TruthArrows]

That's why I especially like her Stories From The Nerve Bible album. Just lay down, close my eyes and listen. You know, the way most albums are intended to be listened to. :)

[@call_me_stan5887]

I used to see her as a very weird artist. Now I'm 36 and it wasn't until recently that I started to understand her artistic ways. This interview - it's just great. Now I understand her even better! Thank you!

[@dnomyarnostaw]

A life long electronic friend for this 65 yo guy. I think I owe her a lot for my sanity.

[@TruthArrows]

Yes, I feel the same way.

[@scrooge-mcduck]

First heard Laurie in mid-80's. 30+ years on and I could still drink the water she bathed in.

[@eligoitein6499]

same here 1980/ a genius elf w/ a violin and screenprojection , inspiring

[@muzwot9603]

Laurie Anderson for President 2020

[@williamthazard]

"I am an artist because I want to be free" is something that will stick with me for a long time, I think. Thank you for this

[@dwgauntlett]

Laurie Anderson is my Artistic Bodhisattva. She is so sweet! her imagination is so real. Listen to Blue Lagoon :)

[@ashleycooper7208]

Can you believe I have only just discovered her?! I listened to O Superman this morning, I may well be feeling over emotional. It made me cry. Now listening to her incredible life story 💛

[@ashleycooper7208]

@Marina E ha! I didn’t and I was just about to start decorating- oh well 🙂

[@larsswipe]

Love this woman so much. Thank you for giving us so much x

[@missyb1020]

Shes such a trip! Excellent birds!

[@butts359]

What a wonderful interview

[@dnasiliev6110]

I am Larified and Andesonized deeply from 80 to forever! Thank you master of words&sounds!

[@jimmybonie1406]

I love you Laurie Anderson♥

[@jamesearlcash1758]

Laurie was a customer of my late grandmother's store on Canal Street in NYC back in the mid 70's to early 80's. She even asked if she could film an interview in the store and was granted although we never got to see the footage. lol

[@pennymayz]

I'm so happy I came across these words you spoke, I'm 65 and I've listened to your words since my 20's, Thank you so much for you. I visit your music when I need to and sometimes it's taken long to return to you, although I do return. In my 20s you gave me inspiration to become who I am as an artist, you truly helped me become my self creatively, as I hear myself still through your conscious ways. Ha! I love that I feel validated by your words just now, I so needed to hear those. I love you and have never been to one of your concert's but it's the first reason I could make a bucket list. I'm about to do art again as I have not, and thanks so much for being you. Take care of yourself my friend.

[@mboilinghotfrog8465]

I love Laurie Anderson!

[@Hexaven]

I remember seeing Laurie on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast back in the 90s as a kid! I'm glad I found her later on in life.

[@ondix]

you are so lovely. i have known of you since BIG SCIENCE released but actually went to mills and so knew of your history. You are so radiant and lovely and natural. bless your heart

[@bebitz65]

What a great PERSON she is! I find her work so inspiring, so engaging. 'I'm an artist because I want to be free'.

[@bdw1945]

Thank you for your performances and oblique look on music

[@marc-paulparis6042]

Thank you so much.....Laurie Anderson has such a different way to fit in the Rock era

[@VladimirRadiomay]

Спасибо! :-)

[@edwardmorris8141]

I love this!

[@onedividedbyzero]

respect!

[@roxanachiarelli377]

I love this artist!

[@gintaremaksimovaite2955]

I love Mrs. Laurie Anderson ❤️ And Mrs. Laurie Anderson new albums. Gintare Maksimovaite

[@SailaV1]

Love!

[@TruthArrows]

Awesome interview! Miigwetch Laurie

[@TheBrennaYo2]

What an incredible woman.

[@btul2569]

she has beautiful smile

[@shellee888]

It’s like a welcome. Love her smile and those Shirley temple dimples!

[@call_me_stan5887]

She aged very well - in a beautifully natural way. And her smile is beautiful, indeed.

[@toolguyslayer1]

Thank you Laury you rock

[@toolguyslayer1]

Laury is that you I'm a big fan I got to ask I don't even need to save your music on my phone because I remember it everyday

[@constantinosschinas4503]

forever beautiful.

[@sleepmovies1956]

what a light

[@AnalogNoiseLab]

A beautiful sunny day in Denmark only a few kilometers from her grandfathers Sweden. If he wasn't lying:)

[@girlinagale]

Excellent person.

[@patrickmccormack4318]

"I'm postulating that the function of art, and I include in this category creative work in science -- that is, creation in the widest sense -- is to put us in touch with what we know and don't know that we know. You can't tell anybody anything he doesn't know already." -- William S. Burroughs

[@kristhompson8112]

I could watch Laurie's amazing face and movement for hours , Nice choice of glass for this IV , Unfortunately sounds like Lapel / Radio Mic was used which is a real shame. In a sitdown IV in a controlled environment like this, always go for a 416 / CS3 on a C stand sounds so, so much better and no cloths scuffing on the mic..

[@tanyavarbanova3202]

Do you know which book by William S. Burroughs she talks about in 5:37?

[@tomcanham9218]

Heaven is a place exactly where you are RIGHT now...

[@Ezyasnos]

I really don't agree with her at 15:49, If you've ever been in the Frankfurt financial district, where all there is are offices and hotels, and everything is neat and tidy and mindblowingly unpersonal that it makes your head implode, you'll understand that the waves art makes are an absolute necessity and therefore it makes it a better world. But regardless of that, what an incredible person she is!

[@weinhara]

she would love my slow pace of working ;)

[@alicat7281]

I seriously wish I had dimples like she does. She’s very cute, isn’t she? She’s like a sprite or something.

[@guyguypariente]

Does anyone know which book Laurie Anderson talks about at 12:00? thx :)

[@imaginationunreal]

"And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photos"- John Berger

[@caveatemp]

Her comment about starting at the right scale is more relevant today when anyone can get a camera and upload to KZbin. Start small.

[@SeanNessman]

oh my god

[@tomcanham9218]

Grand Dame!

[@joedavis4150]

... Laurie Anderson, I love your oh Superman song.... it sounds like you have a halfway polite bird there with you.

[@williamcutting5224]

Someone who knows truth

[@coolershaker]

"Slower is deeper"

[@patrickhicks9880]

the storytelling thing reminds me of reading peggy lee's biography something to do with a shipwreck and her childhood home burning to the ground laurie anderson has that thing whatever it is

[@MsAsjak]

Now she knows that she actually has swedish ancesters and that her oncle Axel did travelled to Ameruca. Actually many children where send wth the ship to America with som adult company and then went to some relative. My oncle worked on a boat as a 15 yrar old

[@wrathford]

If you listen to her accent carefully, you can hear the Swedish

[@xyzllii]

You can express yourself anyway you want on FBook...and I do...poems...my cartoons..(Betty and Marge) my paintings..etc etc it's not confining.

[@tiedupsmurf]

Music Queen The other Bjork.....

[@donnajohnson6227]

Bjork is the other Laurie.

[@tiedupsmurf]

Donna Johnson They were and still are both outstanding artist

[@janetnesire1804]

Try changing the article...to open up the possiblities. She works with language. My new obsessions Laurie Anderson and Birds. I think they fit like a hand in a glove.

[@ticnatz]

Liars can be the best story tellers.....

[@tomcanham9218]

what the literal fuck

[@dnasiliev6110]

Sorry? Lost one letter U.