Podcast Summary
The Return of the Rat: Bleck Le Rat's Enduring Influence: Bleck Le Rat, the godfather of stencil graffiti, continues to inspire artists with his unique style and impact on the genre, despite his identity and personal life remaining a mystery.
Bleck Le Rat, also known as the father or godfather of stencil graffiti, is a significant artist whose influence on the genre predates the commercial success of artists like Banksy. His unique name is inspired by a comic book character named Bleck and the ubiquity of rats in urban areas. Bleck's artwork has inspired many artists, including Banksy, and his impact on the art world is expected to be recognized for decades to come. Woodbury House, a private art gallery in Mayfair, is bringing Bleck's work back to the UK for the first time in over 10 years, and this show, called "The Return of the Rat," is a testament to his enduring influence. Despite the mystery surrounding Bleck's identity and personal life, his art continues to intrigue and inspire.
Artist's long journey to acceptance: Creating something new often takes time and may face rejection, but pushing boundaries can lead to success and recognition.
Creating something new and innovative often takes a long time to be accepted and recognized, especially in the art world. The speaker, an artist who started in 1981, shared his experience of being ahead of his time and facing rejection for many years. He mentioned how Banksy's recognition helped him gain acceptance in the community. The speaker also highlighted the importance of London as a hub for art and creativity, where being recognized in the city leads to global recognition. Despite the long journey, the artist expressed no regrets and is happy about his current success. It's a reminder that pushing boundaries and bringing something new to the table can be a challenging but rewarding experience.
Artists build upon past creations, not invent new things: Artists draw inspiration from history, culture, and previous art to create unique works, making art accessible to all.
Artists are influenced by their experiences and the world around them. They do not create entirely new things, but rather build upon what has come before. The speaker in this conversation emphasized that he did not invent anything new, but rather took inspiration from what he had seen in his life. He drew from history, culture, and the art of those who came before him to create his own unique works. Art, for him, is a source of pleasure and should be accessible to everyone, not just the elite. He saw his role as an artist as adding his own small stone to the path of art history. Art, whether it be street art or ancient pieces, provides a similar pleasure as music, theater, or literature. The speaker's fascination with Asian art is an example of how artists are influenced by the world around them and how art can bring comfort and joy.
The Rarity and Value of Great Art and Success: Success and greatness require hard work, dedication, and originality. Rare and valuable creations take significant time and energy to produce.
Creating great art or achieving success in any field requires hard work, dedication, and originality. The speaker believes that only a select few individuals possess the illumination to create something truly new and groundbreaking. Great art is rare and valuable, and those who attempt to copy the work of others are not putting in the necessary effort. The speaker emphasizes that it takes a significant amount of time and energy to produce something meaningful and original. He also shares his personal experience and recommendation of a watch dealer, Broadwalk, for those interested in investing in watches as an asset class. Overall, the speaker's message is that success and greatness come from putting in the work and staying true to one's vision.
Artists value the authenticity and truth in their work: Artists prioritize the process of creating over ease or originality, deeply connect with their work, and value authenticity and truth in their creations, even if influenced by others.
Artists value the process of creating over the perception of ease or originality by the audience. They often connect deeply with their work, even if they created it many years ago. Self-criticism and rejection of past work are not typical experiences for artists, as they see their art as an authentic reflection of themselves and their truth. Picasso, despite being a master of his craft, is seen as a great liar in his art due to the significant influence of others on his work. The artist's commitment to authenticity and truth in their work is essential, even if it means embracing the influence of others.
The Paradox of Art and Business: Artists face the challenge of balancing authenticity and profit, understanding the risks and challenges of business, and recognizing that being good at business is a form of art.
Artists, like Bongxu, have the power to inspire and create, but they also face the challenge of navigating the value of their work in a society that prioritizes money and markets. Bongxu expressed his belief that some artists lie to gain recognition, wealth, or power, while others, like himself, value authenticity and the joy of creating. He acknowledged the paradox of wanting to share his art for free with the public while also profiting from it. Bongxu also emphasized the importance of understanding the risks and challenges involved in creating a business, whether it's in art or any other field. Ultimately, he believed that being good at business is a form of art and that creating value and making money require courage and dedication.
Freedom to create essential for artist's success: Believing in one's art and having the freedom to create without external pressures are crucial for artists to succeed, despite the challenges of balancing money and art.
Believing in one's art and having the freedom to create without external pressures are essential for artists to succeed. Money and art can be in conflict, and the struggle to balance the two can be challenging. Many artists fail because they don't believe in their work or give up during difficult times. However, if an artist stays committed to their vision and keeps working, they may eventually find success. The artist in this conversation shared that he was fortunate to have the support of his friends who encouraged him to continue creating large paintings, even though they were harder to sell. This freedom allowed him to stay true to his art and eventually find success.
Impact of People on Creativity and Productivity: Isolation and deep connection to work are crucial for artists to tap into their creativity and produce impactful work.
Having the right people around you significantly impacts an artist's creativity and productivity. The artist in this conversation emphasized the importance of isolation and being deeply connected to one's work. They shared their personal experience of being influenced negatively by others in their younger years and how they found the need to isolate themselves to fully tap into their creativity. They also highlighted the importance of living closely with one's creation and investing significant time and energy into it. The artist believes that this intense focus and connection leads to the most impactful work.
The power of pain and solitude in creating great art: Great art can emerge from personal struggles and solitude, with pain and sensitivity being essential to creative output. Society may accept artists through their art, despite their disconnection from society.
The artist believes that being alone and experiencing hardships may contribute to creating great art. He shares that he had a difficult and unhappy life, which led him to focus solely on his art. He lost friends and enjoyed little material possessions, but found joy in his family. The artist also believes that many great artists have not been traditionally happy, and that their pain and sensitivity may be essential to their creative output. He ponders if society's acceptance of artists comes through their art, and that he personally feels disconnected from society. Overall, the artist's perspective is that the struggles and emotions experienced in a difficult life can lead to impactful and meaningful art.
Art and Happiness Don't Always Coincide: Artists should focus on their passion and vision, not fame or fortune, for lasting fulfillment in their craft.
Happiness and success in art do not necessarily go hand in hand. While some artists may find fame and fortune, they may not necessarily be happy or content. On the other hand, some artists who struggle financially or face criticism may find deep fulfillment in their craft. Staying relevant and great at one's art for a long time requires continuous effort and creativity, much like a never-ending process of creation and renewal. Ultimately, the opinion of others should not be the primary driving force behind an artist's work. Instead, artists should focus on their own vision and passion, and let their work speak for itself.
Fears for the future, but optimistic about human resilience: The speaker expresses concerns about potential challenges in the future, but maintains optimism for human ability to overcome them, valuing art as a tangible experience and acknowledging the success of digital artists in the NFT space.
Despite the concerns about the future of society and the potential challenges ahead, there is optimism for the resilience and strength of human life. The speaker expresses fear about the potential for violence, drugs, and lies in the future, but also believes in the ability of humankind to overcome these challenges. They value art as a tangible, touchable experience and are unsure about the digital trend of NFTs. However, they acknowledge that some digital artists have found success and exposure through this medium. Ultimately, they believe in the power of human life to evolve and endure, even if the next 50 years may not be beautiful.
Art's worth is in the object, not the artist: The speaker values art for its reflection of society and tangible beauty, rather than the artist's notoriety.
According to the speaker, the importance of art lies in the object itself, rather than the identity of the artist. He expresses a preference for owning tangible objects, and believes that future generations will value art based on its creation and reflection of society, rather than the artist's notoriety. The speaker also expresses a sense of contradiction in desiring both recognition and anonymity, acknowledging the complexities and challenges of life. In essence, the speaker values art for its ability to reflect society and exist as a tangible, beautiful object, regardless of the artist's identity.
