Post #423388 by The Monitors on Thu, Dec 11, 2008 11:27 PM

Tim Biskup was featured in an Argentinean magazine called "90+10". He explains the theory of his current work and a hint of the future.

What about the idea to create this new work, what were your inspirations?

I spent a lot of time on my previous show, The Artist In You, writing and thinking about my place in the art world. What I ended up with was a very complex exhibition and a book full of writing. I was very happy with the results, but it felt a little too scattered and byzantine. It really only worked if people read the entire book and put a lot of thought into it. O/S is a much more centered project. After the intense intellectual challenge that I gave myself with The Artist In You I felt very inspired to use some of that new theoretical understanding and try to make work that communicated it’s theory visually more than in words.

What is the message of O/S?

The show is based in the connection between the paintings themselves and the sculptural elements (called “Systems”) that accompany them. It is a representation of the the connection between artists and the art world. The system allows an artist’s work to be seen, sold, discussed, transported, etc... At the same time it can be a distraction. That is the key message. It’s funny, I’ve had quite a few people look at the show and say, “Aren’t you worried that the sculptures will distract attention from the paintings?” They clearly had not read the press release, but the message came through. At that point it is really a small leap to see it as a metaphor.

I read about O/S in different blogs that "constitute a fusion of Biskup's aesthetic style and his conceptual theories", do you agree? Can you explain us a little more about it?

That’s a quote from the press release, actually. My goal at this point in my career is to find ways to blend my visual and conceptual ideas so that they become one thing. O/S is not really a blend of the two, but an expression of the two working together side by side. I think of them in terms of language. The visual language of the paintings is emotional. It’s about beauty, color, design and decoration. The visual language of the sculptures is mainly intellectual. The idea is that the materials would announce to the viewer that they are speaking in that language. Hopefully that invites the audience into an intellectual dialogue while at the same time inviting them to enjoy the work’s aesthetic virtue.

There is another meaning to the title, though. The way that I work and think changed so dramatically after The Artist In You that I felt like I was starting over with a new system. It’s like when you upgrade the operating system on your computer. There are similarities, but it’s like your computer had this paradigm shift and does things a little easier. That’s what I was thinking about when I named the show long before I settled on what the work would actually look like.

What about the serigraph "Tree of life", what were the inspiration and main idea of this job?

The image is very literal. The Cyclops is perched in this beautiful tree holding an ax, ready to chop it into pieces. The character is called Helper. I think of him as a representation of corruption. He is the monster that comes to life when man claims to know the will of God and uses that will to justify his actions, however terrible they may be. The image is about man’s relationship to nature, but metaphorically, it can go in many different directions. I originally made that image for the cover of the American Cyclops book. The gallery show that it chronicled was about early American History: Manifest destiny, Freemasonry, the formation of the US government and the Salem witch trials. It was about the process of corruption. I’m very interested in the way that corruption happens. It made me look very carefully at myself; the way that I think and the way that I justify my actions.

Could you see any special idea or reaction towards O/S in the public of Paris?

I had a few very interesting conversations with locals. Some of them were very curious about my theories and some were fans of my more character based work. I always get at least a few fans of Gama-Go. That’s always a little strange for me, because I don’t really have much to do with Gama-Go these days. I haven’t done a design for them in years and I don’t even really keep track of what they’re up to. People will show up with something for me to sign that I’ve never even seen! Anyway, I had a great time in Paris. I wish I could have spent more time there.

What are your next projects, what are you working on or planning to work on?

I’m just starting on a pair of shows that will take place in two different European galleries. They are connected in a way that I’m very excited about. I don’t want to say too much about it. That’s June and July. After that I’m doing a show in Tokyo.

Are you planning to come back to ARG or other country in LatAm to show O/S?

I’m trying to arrange a show in Buenos Aires at some point, but it will not be O/S. There are no plans for O/S to travel beyond the pieces shipping to their buyers.

Any other info you want to add regarding O/S is most welcome.

I think that about covers it. Thanks!
-Tim