Last week, American writer and permanent fixture in the art scene, Glenn O’Brien, passed away at the age of 70 due to complications from pneumonia. A close friend of Andy Warhol, O’Brien rose to fame as the editor of Interview magazine – a position he held on-and-off for nearly 20 years. Here, we celebrate the New York legend’s life with a look back at our interview with him from 2014.
From coining the term “editor-at-large” when working for High Times magazine to copy-writing the now-iconic Nineties Calvin Klein commercials, New York downtown fixture Glenn O’Brien has not only written about culture, he has inscribed himself in it. A writer through and through, the exhibition O’Brien curated at Berlin’s Blain Southern examines the use of words in art. Sleek met with Glenn O’Brien on the day of the opening.
“I’m still a secret graffiti fan” – Glenn O’Brien
Sleek: Looking at the list of artists you selected for this group show, it appears that you are friends with at least some of them. Can you explain this personal approach to curating an exhibition?
Glenn O’Brien: I’ve been in New York for my entire adult life and I’ve been around the art world, so it’s not unusual that I would be friends with and know the artists. They’re people I’ve been working with for a long time. There are a few like Brion Gysin who is someone I was a big fan of and got to know before he died. Then there are artists that I admire, and artists that I admire and know. But friendship really had nothing to do with it.
As a writer, how do you feel about the changing role of the written word? Forms of communication seem to be becoming more and more visual. Is that something that’s reflected in the show?
I think that it’s kind of in the air at the moment because digital media frequently combines words and images. So people are used to Twitter, or Instagram, or Tumblr combining these things, and it’s kind of like a big collage. Also, I think that a lot of contemporary art requires explanation and commentary. Whether people actually read the explanation or not, art is becoming reliant on language that’s outside of itself.
Naturally graffiti also comes to mind.
When I was young, graffiti was basically just a name that had no content. It was only with the generation of graffiti artists that became famous that it evolved into something that did. When Basquiat was doing SAMO, for example, it was the first time somebody had connected poetic content with art on the street. That was really new. Before, there was only street graffiti. I always thought that graffiti was the natural result of growing up in an environment where the only language you see is corporate or official. It’s kind of the revolt of the individual who’s saying, “I’m here too. I’m a presence. I’m a power.” I still like that. I’m still a secret graffiti fan.
What was the New York art world like in the late Seventies?
When I came to New York, the kings of the art world were basically the minimalists and the pop artists. The younger generation had no feeling for minimalism – to them, it was academic, it was the official art world. I think the younger generation – they look back and think of the last art movement that they can relate to and try to emulate that. Back then they called it neo-expressionism, but it was really a revolt against minimalism, against stacked lumber on the floor of a white cube. And it works up a certain romantic view. There’s always a revolution going on.
Do you see anything like that happening now?
Now is strange because what people are revolting against is not so much the entrenched art movement or style, but they are revolting against the art world itself and the fact that in marketing, value is determined by auction prices. That is the big issue today.
On the other hand a lot of young artists don’t seem to mind being commercialised.
I know a lot of people who taught in art school. They always tell me, “I was shocked by my students. I’d say, ‘Do you have any questions?’ and they’d say, ‘Yes, how do we get a gallery? How do we get a loft?’”
“My wife always says to put on jeans because they make you look like someone who’s still doing real work” – Glenn O’Brien
You have become quite successful yourself.
In the beginning I was never really motivated by money. It was only when I was nearly 40 years old that I thought maybe I should make some money. But I always kept my independence. I’m glad that I didn’t become a corporate person, and that I was able to do what I had to do and that I was flexible.
Last question. What’s best to wear to an opening?
Well, since I curated this, I thought I was going to wear a suit and a tie. But I don’t know. My wife always says to put on jeans because they make you look like someone who’s still doing real work. In New York, that’s the uniform, you wear a jacket and jeans.