mi moma.01

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Mi MoMA! (write above).

001

Mi MoMA!07.19.08New York, NY.____________

A ziney thing to inspire art.

Mi MoMA!A quick trip thru the Museum of Modern Art. Turns into a four hour (inspirational) photo shoot & book. New Directions, surveyed new approaches to art in the 2oth Century, featuring Andy Warhol, Franz Kline, David Schriggley, and a few others._I didnt want to bring my camera because I felt it would be annoying and intrusive to others. Butsince I was forced to by security, I felt like it was my obligation to take photos of what I liked. It didnt help that everyone else in the building would just walk around & in front of you take photos with there fckin cellphnes! _ A little frustrated by the situation, I decided to take close ups of the pieces I liked (thus blocking someone elses view) trying to capture the viewers in the reflection. Other times, I would just pan out and photograph the viewer standing directly in front of the artwork. At this point, the museum goer became more interesting than some of the work. _To stay in the MoMA for this long was a great way to spend a ninety-six degree day. The artwork will be altered & hopefully I will not get sued. Enjoy.

The Lazor.SM_Youll have to excuse my interviewing technique, Ill be honest I havent interviewed anyone since the third grade and

that was just my grandma. Hopefully this will go just as well

(when its done we will eat ice cream). _What you thinkin? I

think its ridiculous to take pictures of art, but a lot of people do

it and it becomes really interesting when you think about why?

Is it to own that artwork, capture or record the moment (I was

here kinda stuff), check out the process behind how it was made,

or catch peoples interaction with it? Mine was based on spite

but then I really enjoyed it. > Whats behind your photos? What are you trying to capture? ML_Different things, actually Sometimes I simply want to take the art home with me. Ill do this usually if its a piece

that is sort of unknown or rare and I may never see it again

anywhere. And if I love it, I may really want to keep it around

for future inspiration. _Other times I am trying to bring home

a detail of a piece I like or an element thats caught my eye. The

first time I saw some Picasso works I was weirdly enthralled by

his signature. It struck me as almost more personal than the

piece itself. I took photos of Picassos, Klees, Warhols, and oth-

ers back in those days while I actually still like to shoot (and

touch) Basquiats when I can. (On the pieces he took the time

to sign, that is)._Lastly, Im often times cropping a section of

the piece with my shot. Sometimes its because I find a section

interesting (as mentioned above), but a lot of the time its be-

cause its fun. Its almost like creating an entirely new piece of

art. Its cheating I know, but sometimes it still looks cool. (This

sort of relates to your question below).

_ I was a little annoyed when other museum goers would walk

in front of me, stop and start taking photos of the work with their

cell phones. So annoyed I started shooting them instead of the

artwork. >Whats more important when youre at a museum, seeing the work and really appreciating it or just taking a photo of your cousin standing in front of one piece and moving on to the next?

_ Appreciating it. Not sure if this really needs explanation.

*Not really I think I just wanted to vent a little more about the

whole process of being in museums, besides its fun when some-

one interesting stands in front of you and can snap away.

The first Mi MoMA! interview took place via internet to ensure that both parties would sound as smart as humanly possible. Interviewed by Scott Massey. 12.04.08

001 Interview with Matt Lindauer:

_When Im at a museum, I seem to get all these ideas running

through my head (I need to do this, I need to work more on my

own stuff or damn I did that same thing and it just sits under my

bed). By the time I get home, it seems like those ideas or motiva-

tion are gone. >By taking photos of art that inspire you, can you prolonging these ideas?

_ I guess that could be so. I know that I used to go to LACMA

and sit in the permanent modern art rooms and draw some of

the pieces I really liked. Id copy elements from Miro or Klee

and bring them home with me where theyd usually turn up

in pieces of mine. Sometimes theyd be transformed and muti-

lated and sometimes theyd stay remarkably close to their origi-

nal form. _But I definitely get that same feeling of inspiration

mixed with urgency mixed with need. Its exhausting being at a

great gallery or museum, and staying too long never works out

well. Better to hit them up in short bursts. Even the big places.

Get a membership and just go more often.

_What do you think about people that sit in museums for hours

just sketching, writing, and collecting their thoughts. I was a hat-

er before my last experience, now Id recommend it to anyone in

the creative field. >If you could temporarily move Rent Control to the MoMA, what section would you move it to and why? (www.rentcontrolinc.com)

_Well, I guess by my last answer you can see that I think going and drawing at a museum can be great. Its not a coffee shop so

I wouldnt go and read or try to work, but sometimes you see

things that you just need to draw or write about right then and

there. _If I had to pick a spot at MoMA it probably be an area

where theres Picassos and Miros and other art where there are

lines and shapes and elements that can float out of the pieces

and into different ideas and settings in my world. Picassos bold

lines. Miros biological shapes. Paul Klees bugs as I like to call

them. I like seeing things in Basquiats paintings that are almost

code, but that I feel I understand on a deeper level. Like Ive no-

ticed the same thing[s] as he did, or been hurt in the same way

or felt the same feelings. And sometimes you just need to get

that down on paper right then and there. _One note, I would recommend doing this, if possible, during the least busy time

of the day and week, and maybe even the least crowded area

Cntd.of the museum. Its more meditative to immerse into art and try

to feel the details in a piece when youre not surrounded by a

never-ending parade of tourists or, even worse, tours. _Couldnt

agree with you more, when I finally reach Pollocks painting I

really just wanted to sit their and look at every drip, smear and

splash of paint. Unfortunately, there was a tour parked there for

longer than I was willing to wait. More time during my next trip

will be spent sitting on the floor with a sketchbook.

(Last section)Ive been doing research thru flikr, http://flickr.com/groups/

moma/pool/ theres a lot of images taken at the MoMA and

daily people are uploading new files. Its interesting to see how

the same pieces are interpreted by people, different angles, some

cropping the work and others panning out. A lot of them claim

not to be artists, but they seem to be taking artistic license in the

way that the art is captured.>Is a photograph of a piece of artwork considered a work of art or is it simply a reproduction? Should we be sued for reproduc-ing these images with the intent to sell?

_ This was an area I dealt with while in art history class in col-

lege in Arizona. The class as a whole was getting very extreme

in their opinions and worked themselves into a mob mentality

about the reproduction of art. They were militant in their views

that there shouldnt be ANY reproduction of art. That the origi-

nal should be all that there is. Period. I pointed out that, while

Mona Lisa pillow cases and Monet playing cards are saddening,

capitalistic outlets, without reproductions wed never be able

to see most of the art the world has to offer. How many people

would be able to see the Pieta in Rome, the Mona Lisa in Paris,

or Guernica in Spain? _Or better yet, to be able to see all of

them? _I dont think that a simple photo of any of the above

pieces, or any others for that matter, is necessarily art, however

I would never say that it couldnt be. Im sure someone could

do something meaningful with a photo of someone elses work,

famous or unknown, and wed be moved and even inspired by

it. Im sure someone could, has and will. _ I found a couple that

were pretty amazing, one that sticks out in particular was posted

by arvindk and named Dali I See You.

_In our day and age, everyone gets a point of view (last week I watched a twelve year old on youtube teach how to make a sail-

boat out of folded paper, I had to watch it 3 times before success-

fully making a recognizable dingy). Not exactly a point of view

but hes out there for everyone to see. It seems like everyone has

the desire to become famous or to be heard.

>How & who should determine where it stops? _I think culture/society will determine that on its own. People

hated Duchamp and still hate Koons. People thought Lich-

tenstein drew cartoons, Pollack spilled paint, and Twombly

scribbled. No single person or government or critic or or-

ganization can, or should, ever claim to know whats right or