23 Questions for Artist Marianne Vitale
23 Questions for Artist Marianne Vitale
Name: Marianne Vitale
Age: 37
Occupation: Artist
City/Neighborhood: Live, Lower East Side; studio, Long Island City
What project are you working on now? Grave markers and burnt bridges
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What's the last show that you saw? "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," the show about the Apollo at the Museum of the City of New York
What's the last show that surprised
you? Luxembourg & Dayan's "Unpainted Paintings"
Why? I was surprised, pleasantly, that out of all the work in the show my favorite is Schnabel's shag.
What's your favorite place to see art? Anthology Film Archives
Do you make a living off your art? I make art off my living.
What's the most indispensable item in
your studio? My clipboard.
Where are you finding ideas for your
work these days? Pawing through high aisles of the musty Strand and watching Spaghetti Westerns.
Where do you hunt for the found materials you've been using in your latest series? Bankrupt lumber yards
Is it true that you're working on a follow-up to your "Patron" video that was shown at the Whitney Biennial? Always conspiring.
If so, whom do you plan to direct your wrath at next? Art blogs
Do you collect anything? Not that I know of.
What's the last artwork you purchased? A painted seashell done by my kid friend.
What's the weirdest thing you ever saw
happen in a museum or gallery? Hermann Nitsch chugging a half-gallon of Whoppers malted milk balls.
What's your art-world pet peeve? The High Line
What's your favorite post-gallery
watering hole or restaurant? I rarely water my hole these days.
Do you have a gallery/museum-going
routine? No routine.
What's the last great book you read? Uldis Roze's "The North American Porcupine." This biologist has been trailing them through the woods for 25 years, right here in the northeast. They produce even, rhythmic tooth-scrape drawings on tree bark — stunning — and love to lick salt.
What work of art do you wish you
owned? I saw a Frank Stella the other day — aluminum paint on canvas — great shape, wouldn't mind looking at it some more.
What would you do to get it? I read that visualization is the latest craze for getting what you wish for. My brain can't distinguish between actually running a 100-meter dash and visualizing myself running it. I suppose if I concentrate, it can be hanging on my wall in no time.
What international art destination do
you most want to visit? Rome
What under-appreciated artist,
gallery, or work do you think people should know about? Oh come on, we all know there's only so much love in this world.
What are your hobbies? I don't do hobbies. It's like snacking. I don't snack; I like three solid meals a day.

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