FANS QUESTIONS ANSWERED

FANS QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Marko Stout Answers Some of His Fans Questions!!

  marko-stout  
What inspired you to merge your art with fashion? How has the response been so far to creative line?
SEP 4, 12:05PM EDT0
MARKO STOUT:  I was approached by a local designer here in New York to license some of my work for their tops and jackets- it turned out really cool. Also, Gucci is now interested in featuring a few of my pieces in an upcoming ad campaign for their urban line. I find fashion to be just another art form and a unique way of showing my art to many that do not usually visit galleries. I really like the way Keith Harring and Basquiat have been shown in fashion lately- working on doing something like that with my works.
SEP 4, 7:00PM EDT0
What are some of the things that help you to determine how much you will charge for each piece of art you exhibit?
SEP 4, 7:06AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: The fees are determined by the gallery not me. We’re showing my work at high end galleries now so the cost of the works has gone up greatly. That’s good for me… NYC is an expensive town!

SEP 4, 7:01PM EDT0
Many artists struggle to sell their work. How was the process like for you before you became a renowned artist people seek out?
SEP 4, 7:05AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I had some success early on when I live in San Francisco and thing really started to happen for me once I moved to New York and the last year as really been a wild ride!

SEP 4, 7:02PM EDT0
When you have a solo exhibition, how many pieces do you need to have to ensure people attending have enough to see? Does quantity matter much during exhibitions?
SEP 4, 6:59AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: My solo shows have moved to larger galleries and l usually exhibit about 20-30 pieces, some video art and maybe a few sculptures. This seems to be the correct size for my shows.

SEP 4, 7:02PM EDT0
You have been compared to fellow New York pop artists Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol. Would you agree? What are your thoughts on this?
SEP 4, 5:43AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: That’s good company to be in. I love Koon’s use of vivid colors- obviously that had an influence on my work. And Andy Warhol is really the father of modern art as we know it today. He is the first real American artist with a style totally different than the old traditional European painters- way cooler and more democratic… more American!

SEP 4, 7:03PM EDT0
By what parameters do you measure your success?
SEP 4, 2:05AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: The freedom to create work that I like- that’s success. Also, now having solo shows in large established galleries with thousands of fans showing up to the exhibitions and the work selling for much larger sums now… I need to eat!

SEP 4, 7:03PM EDT0

Who are the artists that have influenced you throughout your artistic career or your life and how did they make an impact on you?

SEP 3, 10:25PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: All kinds of art. I really admire Andy Warhol, he took things in a different direction and opened up what art could be. Really gave Americans their own style and voice in the art world. Lately been getting into the photographer Miron Zownir- I like his nonjudgmental approach to his subjects. Very interesting stuff… you should check out his “RIP NYC” series- very cool.

SEP 4, 7:04PM EDT0
From where do you get the inspiration for your artwork? What inspired your latest collection?
SEP 3, 9:25PM EDT0
How did you become an artist? Was this something that was always a dream for you?
SEP 3, 9:06PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: It’s a long but interesting story that ends with me living on a houseboat outside San Francisco and hangout drinking wine and smoking weed with a friend who owned an art gallery in the area- he actually was to be a roadie for the Grateful Dead in the 70s. Anyway, he got me into painting and even sold some of my works in his gallery. So that really got me interested in art professionally, as a career. I few more wild twists in life found me living in New York City and that’s when things really started to happen for me!

SEP 4, 6:54PM EDT0
How would you define your artistic style? How would you say your style has evolved with the passing years?
SEP 3, 6:30PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I really don’t like classifications it seems way too limiting. I saw on Wikipedia that they called my style “industrial pop”. I’m not sure what that is, but I kind of like that term. As far as my work evolving over the years, I find it becoming a bit more minimalist in style. I can say much more and get directly to the point with more intensity now.How do you stay relevant among other artists? Do you reinvent yourself constantly? What is your secret? I live and play in New York City- the town really keep you current on edge. It forces you to stay current with trends and movement to remain relevant. My recent exhibitions have been packed with younger fans in their 20s and 30s. Not much gray hair at my shows- except for some of the media and art dealers, and maybe a few of mine now.

SEP 4, 6:55PM EDT0
MARKO STOUT: How do you stay relevant among other artists? Do you reinvent yourself constantly? What is your secret?
SEP 3, 6:22PM EDT0
How do you feel about people trying to censor art?
SEP 3, 5:47PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I detest these narrow-minded bullies! They’re usually uneducated and don’t understand modern art. Censors have no place in a modern democratic society!

SEP 4, 6:55PM EDT0
From all the pieces that you have created so far, which one resonates with you the most and why?
SEP 3, 4:22PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I really like a larger piece titled “Erotic Nightmares”- there is an intensity to the image especially the eyes that really captures what I was going for- it’s one of my favorites. I also like a series of pieces called “Lips” since it was a large series that sold very well, and we collected large fees with licensing and merchandising the images—I need to eat and Manhattan is an expensive town!

SEP 4, 6:56PM EDT0

How do you deal with criticism, either good or bad?

SEP 3, 1:35PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I put the good reviews on my website and pay no attention to the bad ones- since they obviously missed the point. I make art for myself and my fans- not critics. The French Impressionist all had bad review in their day and now their works are in every major museum and collection and sell for hundreds of millions.

SEP 4, 6:57PM EDT0
What made you produce the wildly popular New York independent art film festival: LIPS Film Festival?
SEP 3, 12:53PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I’m not a big fan of current mainstream big budget Hollywood pics- they’ve become way too corporate and formulaic. I love the smaller indie movies and art films which need a venue to be shown. Way too many of the smaller arthouse theaters have closed in New York because of greedy landlords looking to make fast money and not caring about culture. We need to reverse this trend and get our smaller much better art films seen.

SEP 4, 6:57PM EDT0
Where and when will the opening of your latest art collection be held? What made you choose this venue?
SEP 3, 12:36PM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I have a really cool solo exhibition opening at Caelum Gallery in New York City this fall. The opening night is 10/18/19. I love this gallery, it’s one of the more beautiful and prestigious galleries in the center of Chelsea, where all the world’s hottest art shows are exhibited. It’s also a nice large size to accommodate the crowds and properly exhibit my work.

SEP 4, 6:58PM EDT0
Why do you think some people call your work controversial? Are you OK with this categorization?
SEP 3, 11:33AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: I’ve seen much more wild stuff then mine, so not sure why some find it shocking. I actually pulled my art and cancelled an exhibition at the World Trade Gallery in downtown New York last year when their owners tried to censor my work a few weeks before the exhibition was set to open. They did not want to offend the Wall Street crowd that passes the gallery on the way to work. Crazy! They’re exactly to type of people I want to offend. My exhibition was replaced by a retrospective of flower paintings they called sexy and edgy- it was neither!

SEP 4, 6:59PM EDT0
What themes do you enjoy exploring in your works and why are these themes important to you?
SEP 3, 9:54AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: My works are very modern and very urban- I think a Midwest farmer would have problems relating. Inspiration for me comes from my surroundings and I surround myself with all types of interesting people in New York City. I like telling their stories and what’s going on in their head- its often quite amazing.

SEP 4, 6:59PM EDT0
Is there a dream place, a museum or gallery where you would like to hold an exhibition one day? If so, can you share what it is about this place that would make the ideal venue for your artwork?
SEP 3, 6:08AM EDT0

MARKO STOUT: A large-scale retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum is my ultimate goal. The Guggenheim is architecturally the best and most flattering place for my work- it will be an amazing show! We’ll have my vibrant paintings and prints on the spiraling walls with video art, sculpture works and experimental music- I can’t wait! Also, a solo exhibition at MOMA- that’s the validation that you really made it and also my favorite museum.

SEP 4, 7:00PM EDT0
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