Mark Bradford: Paper | Art21 "Exclusive"

[Mark Bradford: Paper]

I always say, "Well,"

"What I need is not here."

"So I just have to make myself
available to the universe."

So I start walking around,

looking for paper.

For the right paper.

I know it when I see it.

And when you turn it around,

so the backside is exposed,

borders collapse.

Languages collapse.

And suddenly I'm sitting with...

this, sort of, paper that is
so familiar to me.

[CHUCKLES]

I was in Bali,

and whenever I go to a new city

I always take down…

This is right before the tsunami.

A month before, actually.

I had a whole lot of this paper,

so…

And when I was going through customs,

the official said,

"Why are you bringing back trash?"

I said, "This ain't trash!"

"This is art."

And he said, "It's trash."

And I said, "It's art!"

And he said, "Well…"

I said, "Well, can I take it home?"

"If it's trash?"

And he said, "Yeah."

And I said,

"Well it's trash."

So…

[LAUGHS]