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Jamian Juliano-Villani’s Field Work | Art21 "New York Close Up"

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    Alright.
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    ["New York Close Up"]
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    I think this is a...
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    smell that smells like popcorn...
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    There's a fucking popcorn factory right here.
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    [Jamian Juliano-Villani, Artist]
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    Popcorn.
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    Tires.
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    More tires.
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    It seems so rare and lucky
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    that an artist can actually
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    think about the things
    that they want all day--
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    and, like, research
    as much as you want.
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    That's their job.
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    And, I think going out
    and doing stuff in the real world
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    also counts as work.
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    It's crazy,
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    you can live in New York
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    and just, like, screw around
    and express yourself--
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    and get paid, maybe?
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    That's a privilege.
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    ["Jamian Juliano-Villani's Field Work"]
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    So stupid.
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    I've been going to Strand
    ever since I moved to New York.
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    Whenever I'm restless with my work,
    I just go to Strand--
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    and I'm like,
    "I'll find something here!"
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    It's like an event.
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    I'll usually be there for, like,
    four hours.
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    This is good for color, but...
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    Because I like him.
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    "Master of Make-Believe"!
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    Have that one.
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    Signed copy, too.
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    I really like trying to get things from books,
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    as opposed to just the Internet.
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    You'll find one specific thing
    that you won't find anywhere else.
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    It feels like it's more mine
    if I get it from a book.
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    On the Internet,
    everything is everywhere, so...
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    That is fucked up.
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    What is this!?
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    I mean, I base so many paintings off of
    books from Strand.
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    I'm really into throwaway ephemera, you know?
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    Or things that people passed over.
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    It's like a flipbook, the way I look at them.
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    And I can tell immediately
    if it's going to be useful or not.
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    Ugly.
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    No.
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    So, like, you can get a million books
    on, like, caricature art.
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    So, which one do you pick?
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    It can't just be like the most obvious reference.
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    There's something off with it.
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    Or something unique about it.
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    It's hard to explain,
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    but I feel like when I look through something,
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    like, a light will go off
    and be like, "That's good!"
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    Can I get in?
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    Aw, come on!
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    Yeah?
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    No?
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    Yes?
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    [CARS HONKING]
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    What the fuck is this!?
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    [DRIVER] You want to open right in...
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    Being in the crossing walk!?
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    [JULIANO-VILLANI] Sorry, I didn't know!
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    [DRIVER] Come on!
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    [JULIANO-VILLANI] Alright! Alright!
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    Living in New York
    and growing up in Jersey,
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    the least cool thing you could possibly do
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    is go to Times Square.
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    But there's something
    that I really love about it.
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    Not only is it uniquely American,
    but it's also...
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    It's like, you know, you take everything
    from your fridge,
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    and you put it in a bowl
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    and try to make, like, some gross-ass meal.
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    You think you could, like,
    force someone to eat it?
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    That's what it feels like, and I like that.
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    Ripley's Believe It or Not--
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    it's something I wanted to do for a while
    in terms of research.
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    It's like these fake sets and gimmicks.
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    And it is tasteless
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    and it is tacky.
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    But it's a way to get your brain moving.
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    Oh man!
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    Those aren't real!?
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    Oh my God, they are!
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    Oh, hell no!
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    Look at this.
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    It's like some quick mental vacation.
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    You find yourself getting really into things
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    that you would never dip your toe into.
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    Oh my God, I can't!
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    That's so gross.
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    It's like a Paul Thek or something.
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    There is no real level of good or bad there.
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    You know, who the hell can tell?
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    So, when I make my paintings,
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    it's kind of like I can't tell either.
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    The line is so thin,
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    like I get confused all the time.
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    And finding, like, the I'm-not-sure area
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    is the thing that I find interesting.
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    Portrait of Abe Lincoln on that house fly...
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    [LAUGHS]
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    Which is insane.
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    Going into Ripley's,
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    you know what the value of
    all that stuff is?
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    Forty dollars--
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    the entry fee!--
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    and that's it.
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    But, you put one of those objects in a vitrine
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    and you put it next to something
    like Paul Thek--
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    and there are no labels or anything--
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    what is the difference?
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    They're both ephemera.
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    They're both made from a point in time.
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    They're both cultural.
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    Like, the pretense of art feels weird
    and wrong.
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    And that's the thing--
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    I think anyone that is an artist
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    is constantly feeling the guilt of that.
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    So that's why I kind of like
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    these other weird elements of life--
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    and especially life in New York.
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    It's like lowest-common denominator--
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    You know, bottom common denominator?--
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    And...
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    I think it's inspiring!
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    No one cares.
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    No one's looking.
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    You can act however you want.
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    You can be whoever you want.
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    Seems pretty cool.
Title:
Jamian Juliano-Villani’s Field Work | Art21 "New York Close Up"
Description:

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Video Language:
English
Team:
Art21
Project:
"New York Close Up" series
Duration:
06:11

English subtitles

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