Artist Interview: Andrew Birk

How did you get involved in art?

I started making cartoons in middle school, rap albums and vandalizing things as early as high school. I discovered art on a more conceptual level in college. Though I still don't necessarily have the clearest idea of what Im doing, Ive found a way to stumble forward day by day making mistakes over and over and learning from them. Lately Ive been provided a bunch of opportunities to consult, write, and curate too.

What are you currently working on?

Im currently producing work for a solo show that will open September 10th at Johannes Vogt Gallery in New York. Ive been living in the gallery and making work 24/7.

Does music play into your art? I listened to one of the sound pieces on your site.

For me music is probably the number one most important thing in the world. I love people’s response to sound. When a firetruck blasts by you always see people plugging their ears. By people reacting, they're essentially taking a stance. I cannot imagine a more pleasurable experience then being immersed in perfect gorgeous sound. The boatman in Siddhartha learns all the mysteries of the universe by listening to a river. Im obsessed with figuring out what my walk-out theme song would be if I were a cage fighter. Sound creates a baseline and a context for life’s unfolding. While Ive been in New York, I’ve taken special note the white noise of air conditioners. Beautiful. For the life of me, I don't understand why art exhibitions are always so g.d. quiet. Life is not quite and art shouldnt be either.

How has the internet influenced your art?

Its given me a public forum to test my ideas and receive critical feedback. It has given me a community. It has given me access to heroes. It has given me all the childrens animation, kung fu, and bad rom-com movies I ever could've dreamed for. Humanity must've been so very lost without the world wide web.

By Sacha Mendel

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