Arturo Herrera: Failure | Art21 "Exclusive"

Episode #075: In his Berlin studio, Arturo Herrera discusses the importance of accepting failure in order to be able to learn and grow as an artist.

Arturo Herreras work includes collage, work on paper, sculpture, relief, wall painting, photography, and felt wall-hangings. Rooted in the history of abstraction, Herreras playful work taps into the viewers unconscious, often intertwining fragments of cartoon characters with cut-out shapes and partially obscured images that evoke memory and recollection.

Learn more about Arturo Herrera: http://www.art21.org/artists/arturo-herrera

VIDEO | Producer: Wesley Miller and Nick Ravich. Interview: Susan Sollins. Camera & Sound: Terry Doe and Leigh Crisp. Editor: Jenny Chiurco. Artwork Courtesy: Arturo Herrera.

I think every time the idea of failure comes

I think artists are a little bit afraid,

But I think it's a very healthy thing.

There have been a couple of failures that allow me

To realize what works and what doesn't work.

Sometimes, in difficult spaces, I went with simple images,

And maybe it required a much more complex image.

When dealing with new works or different techniques

It's bound to fail.

But it is necessary--it's essential--for me

To go into this state.

It's like swimming in water full of sharks,

Just going with it.

You know, if you make it, fine,

If it doesn't, it's okay,

You're just joining in.

I welcome when it happens, because I know

I'm going to learn something from it,

But I hate that after spending so many hours on something

And you're attached to this idea that you thought was going to work,

Then it ends up being a disaster.

So, you get two sides.