Self-portrait in figures, 1977 – 2012
Expected Year of Mortality
To Continue our support for emerging artists and our partnership with The Other Art Fair we are interviewing some of the artists showing at the Spring 2013 edition of The Other Art Fair:
Andrew Reeve
1.Is this your first TOAF ? if so why are you exhibiting? If not why are you coming back?This is my first TOAF and I consider it a useful opportunity to meet people and show my work.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you like to express? The majority of my work involves cutting into existing paintings made by artists known or unknown. I look for gilt-framed paintings on canvas. The older the better because there are interesting things to be found on the back of an old or new painting. Cutting into the canvas and, in some respect, ruining someone’s hard work seems an absurd thing to do. I’m aware of the conflict between my actions and the original artist’s intentions, which I’m sure, didn’t agree with their work being “hacked-up.” My ideas are mainly existential; how, why, we value certain objects, ideas, beliefs and ourselves. If I cut £2000 out of a canvas and this is the work’s selling price, how is this value determined? I’ve cut £2000 but is that really all it takes to give an artwork a price? Is the work worth the value cut from it? Will the value increase or decrease depending on my mortality?
3. How do you start the process of making work?
It began many years ago….It begins by searching for paintings. When I see one and like the appearance of the back of the canvas, I buy it. This is part of the work: the transaction, the exchange of money and now ownership. I’ll have a number of ideas written and doodles sketched. I choose a sketch, work on it until necessary and then cut it out to see how it looks. I’ll keep doing this until one appears as I wish and then I’ll use it for the main work. Any mistakes such as slipping with the knife has the potential to, ironically, ruin the work. The process continues with thinking about titles and how to hang the work.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?
I always consider the viewer. They are thoroughly important.
5. What work will you be showing at TOAF ?
A selection of work involving cut canvases. Some may feature the selling price of the work cut from the canvas and some will feature existential, philosophical, imagery.
6. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?
Very Clever.
?7. Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
Marcel Duchamp
8. What does you art cost ?
I’ve sold work from £4 up to £2000
Connexion 2012
9. Which art work are you most proud to have created ?
Connexion. (See Above)
10. Final question if you had $75,000 to buy some art with , what would you buy ?
One of my own with $140,000 cut from the canvas. Then it’ll be worth at least half that.
You Can See Andrew at Ambika P3 Marylebone London NW1
April 25th-28th 2013 www.theotherartfair.com
