Eastendgalleri Per Andresen

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When did you first came up with the idea of opening a gallery?

I had this idea for a while but it just happened when 2 friends of mine offered to be part of it and share the risk, and the duty.

Where is your gallery situated at, and why have you chosen that area and not elsewhere?

The gallery is located on the Venetian mainland, Mestre. We chose that particular area because it was very strategic and affordable. Venice center can be quiet expensive so to start with we preferred this area. We aim at Venice anyway, we hope to be able to move there in a few years.

How do you market yourself?

We do organize events to promote our exhibitions, we arrange collateral happenings in order to attract local people, also through the internet of course, social networks and so on.

Tell me about the space and any innovations you would like to bring forth as a gallery owner?

The space is organized in two interconnected rooms, we have a small stockroom/office it is a tiny gallery, about 50sqm. We want to see our gallery promoting different kind of art, we wish to have an international feel as well as promoting local artists.

Do you collect art?

I do collect art, I started few years ago.

Tell me about your art collection?

Being a art lover my collection does not follow a line, I buy what I like and what I can afford. In that sense I’m not an investor, or better, the investment is not the main purpose of my collection. I am into contemporary art and I buy wherever I can.

What was the most expensive painting you've ever bought?

I bought a 10.000 euro painting once. I cannot afford more than that.

What was the most expensive painting you've ever sold?

We mainly deal with affordable art so few thousand euro…

Do you have a favorite artist/painting in your collection?

I love all my babies but a portrait of me made by Takahiro Kimura is very special, I’m a vain man!

What artists are you currently showing at your gallery, and why?

At present we have an exhibition about erotism, we are showing the works of two different artists. Alessandro Sanna and Carlo Tinti. The first one is an illustrator and gives a fine and elegant view of erotic behavior and the other one is a designer which gives a cyber view of pornography inspired by Japanese cartoons and movies.

What kind of prices do you find acceptable for an art work, and what prices you do not, and why?

Well this is a very complicated matter, it depends on your moral attitude I guess. Surely millions of euros for a painting is not moral but that’s the world we live in. Capitalism can surely create bad distortions. I do not approve it. My idea is that everybody should have access to the art market, everyone has the right to be a potential collector. That would be healthy for the art market, galleries and artists.

What art movement inspire you the most? Is there a specific type, style or theme of work you like to exhibit at your gallery?

I am fund of many different movements, from german expressionism to abstract , Italian spazialismo, futurismo and so on. As I said before we do not follow any line, so we do not have a style or theme. We are not specialists in that sense. We may be one day but not yet. We want to be free and embrace everything that is stimulating for us.

What do you love most about art, and what do you hate?

Art is most positive human representation, it takes the human being to an elevated level. It represent the success of our specie. Unfortunately humans even created war.  I hate the big business around art in our era. Even many artists are so much into money nowdays.

Can you name some of the artists in your private collection, and why have you chose them in the first place?

I have works by Yoakim Belanger, Francoise Nielly, Robert Pan, Sylvain Tremblay, Takahiro Kimura, Robert Proch, Chiara Sorgato, Davide Nido, Nuno Evaristo and many others.  I bought them for many different reasons but mainly because I liked them. Some I even regretted it but what would life be without regrets.

Do you remember When you bought your very first painting/sculpture?

Yes, it was a small painting Beatriz Chavez exhibited inside a restaurant in Madrid few years ago…

Are there any hard obstacles to overcome when owning a small gallery?

If you start a business in these times you surely have obstacles. Passion and devotion will eventually sort them out.

Is there a favorite artist you like to work with, and any preferable mediums used on the exhibited works?

No

Does you gallery have a lot of interested people, collectors stopping by, or do you think that the works shown are not mainstream enough for the general public?

I think the works we have shown in our recent exhibitions could be interesting for either a mainstream public or a more snobbish one.

Do you participate on any Art fairs, and is there one that you particularly like?

We are planning to be part of art fairs in the future, we aim at Artissima in Torino.

How would you classify your gallery?

Upcoming.

In addiction to FACEBOOK here do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world?

I look for art everywhere, in the internet as well as on the street. When I travel I always visit small galleries and often buy.

What does art mean to you?

Art is my passion, my obsession and my concession. I love it and I indulge in it. When I was young I wanted to be an artist myself. I used to paint and draw, then I realized that my talent was limited so I became an admire of others’.

Do you have any special goals for the future?

Yes, to be able to make enough money to open few different galleries worldwide.

Do you have any exhibitions planned, and is there a cool art scene in your area?

The next exhibition will be about collage, in march. The art scene in the area is not great but Venice attracts lot of people who have a deep interest in art so that makes the future promising.

How would you like to be remembered in a few hundred years?

I will not be remembered in a few hundred years and it doesn’t bother me.

What advise can you give to up-coming artists?

Never give up, never get stuck!

Thank you for this interview

Where are you from, and how old are you if i may ask?

I live in the U.S. in a place called Rhode Island, which isn’t really an island, about 3 hours from New York City.

When did you decided to become an artist?

I think I’ve always been an artist—it just took me 40 years to realize it. I used to think that you had to draw really well to be an artist, and I couldn’t. Now I know it doesn’t matter.

What artists inspire you the most?

Children. DuBuffet (of course.)

Do you remember the very first painting/sculpture you ever made?

When I was six years old, I made an entire zoo of tiny animals out of clay, so small they all fit into a matchbox. It was very impressive!

Is there a favorite painting/sculpture you made that you would never sell?

Dear to my heart are some of the sculptures I’ve made from objects I found on the beach. I’m especially fond of a mermaid face I created out of a rusty sieve and a scrap of canvas with holes in it. The holes became her eyes and mouth. Her nose is the thumb from a fisherman’s glove. Her spectacular hair is many different colors of
rope.

What mediums do you like to use in your work, and and why?

Basically, I use anything but oils. I have no idea what to do with oils plus they’re toxic and take a long time to dry – and I’m much too impatient. I love collage, and I love to work with found objects – especially stuff I find on the beach. There are just so many surprising, interesting things that wash up on shore especially after a big storm.

Do you find it easy to exhibit your work where you live?

I work with some galleries here in the U.S. and also Carre d’Artistes, a France­based
gallery with branches in many other countries. I’d love to find a gallery in New York. Do you hear that, New York? You know you want me!

Are there any other forms of creativity that you like to practise, other than painting and sculpure?

When I was young I played the trumpet. But I gave it up because I thought that boys wouldn’t be interested in a trumpet­playing girl. How stupid is that? Recently I’ve taken up African drums. A friend from France sent me a clip of a group called Zalinde. It’s a bunch of beautiful, powerful women who dance and bang on drums. My dream is to be one of them.

Is there a favourite color you feel that you have to use on all your paintings?

In life, I’m invariably drawn to bright lemony green. But in my artwork I love all colors. Color is such a magical thing don’t you think?

Do you have titles for your paintings, and are titles important to you and your work?

My paintings often name themselves. I’ll be working on something, not sure where I’m going with it and suddenly the title will float into my head. It feels like the painting is telling me what it wants to be.

What would be your ideal studio like?

My fantasy studio! Well, there would be lots of space, of course. High windows. Lots of light. Someone would come in and help me organize it, because I find organization an impossible task. And it would be in a warm, sunny place – like
California or the Greek island of Naxos, right on the sea so I could pop down for a swim whenever I liked.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?

My studio—for now—is on the third floor of an old brick building in an industrial part of town. The traffic outside is very loud, especially in the summer when my windows are open ­­­trucks, buses, screaming fire engines, once a day a train clatters by. Once I start working, though, I don’t hear any of it. I’m in my own world.

Do you like to paint on a smaller or a bigger scale?

It’s getting harder and harder to paint small, that’s for sure.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art. How do you sell your work? And how do you market yourself?

Like many of us artists, I find self ­promotion very difficult, and I don’t think I do a very good job at marketing myself. My New Year’s resolution is to do more of it.

Do you make enough money to live of your art?

Alas, no. But I’m working on it.

Do you participate on any Artfairs, and is there one where you exhibit regularly?

I’m very excited because I just got into a well­ known outsider Art Fair in North Carolina, in the southern part of the U.S. (where they love outsider art.) So, I’ll be heading down there in February.

How would you classify your work?

Self­taught, outsider, primitive, intuitive, brut, naïf….

What does your work mean to you? What statement do you hope to make?

I applaud good art that makes political or cultural statements, but that’s not what I feel drawn to do. My work feels very personal to me, and I hope people feel a personal connection to it. A woman who bought one of my paintings told me that it helped her get through breast cancer. That just knocked me over.

What advise would you give to upcoming artists?

Play. Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid. Have fun. Didn’t Picasso say, “The greatest artist is a child at play.” ? I’ve been looking all over and haven’t found that quote, so maybe I imagined it. Anyway, I agree with it.

Thank you for this interview Lucy :)

Thank YOU, Nuno!

Where are you from, and how old are you if i may ask?

My age is a secret, but I'll put it this
way, I'm 20 years younger than my dad, and he's 72. I'm from the north of England.

When did you decided to become an artist?

I've made pictures for many years on and off, sometimes doing nothing for years.  I made a decision at the end of 2011 to make art every day.

What artists inspire you the most?

There are many and they change all the time but at the moment...Ace of Trades
(Paul), the handyman that has done lot's of work in my wife and daughter's shop,
Massimo Nota and Outsider artist Momo.

What do you love about painting, and what do you hate?

I like making something out of nothing, something unique.  The element of surprise that often makes a picture work.  Also the escape factor and being focused on the moment is good.  There's nothing I hate about it really.  I'm crap at it often, maybe that's the only thing.

Do you remember When did you made your very first painting/sculpture?

Can't remember, but it would have been a big collage.

What mediums do you like to work with, and and why?

I use acrylic paint, pens, oil crayons, collage and on cardboard, paper or wood. 
They just seem to work for me.

Are there any members of your family who support you and your art?

My wife and daughters are great, very supportive.  If I can make them laugh or show an interest it's good.  I take notice of their opinions.

Do you find it easy to exhibit your work in galleries or there are any obstacles hard to overcome?

I exhibited in a gallery in Scotland years ago and just took some pictures in to show them. They accepted them straight away and all that I took in after that, and they always sold.  So it was easy really.  At the moment I have pictures in a gallery in
Berlin and that was because Reinhard Stammer told the gallery about me.  The
gallery contacted me and it went from there.  I have three more exhibitions coming
up, in London and in the US somewhere (not sure where yet), and Flanders, so I've
been very lucky in not having to push much, although I could do much more.  I'm
lazy and apathetic often.

Is there a favorite painting/sculpture you ever made?

There are a few.  But often it's the last one made, but sometimes I go off them.  If I still like them a few weeks later they will be up there with my favourites.
 
Are there any other forms of creativity that you like, other than painting?

I don't use any other medium personally although I keep thinking about making short films.  I like music and films. Something has to touch me in some way.

Do you have a favourite color when you paint?

I suppose grey, white and black but as long as a colour's in the right place.

What would be your ideal studio like?

A big light room with a bar and naked women in one corner and a wildlife section and maybe a swimming pool.

Do you ever open your studio to the public... and if not would you consider doing it at all?

Not really relevant at the moment.

What inspires you the most, abstract painting, just figurative, or a bit of both?

Mostly figurative collage/mixed media, sometimes i get ideas from abstract though.

Do you sell your work online, ebay or galleries only?

Online and galleries.  I've sold on an online art gallery through this year
and dozens through my facebook account.

Do you participate on any Artfairs, and is there one that you particularly like?

Never done it.

Do you paint for a living or do you have a job on the side?

A bit of both.  I buy and sell vinyl records too.  I aim to do art only as soon as possible.

How would you classify your work?

Sometimes good rubbish that, when it works, connects to something a little below the surface of the semi-awake modern human.  I'm technically not good but can sometimes come up with an image somehow.

Do you have an art degree at all, and do you find it useful?

No art training at all.

How long does a painting take from beginning to end?

Anything from 1 minute to 15 minutes.  Occasionally 30 minutes.  It's quite a quick process and I like the spontaneity.  Sometimes I go back the next day or days and change it a bit.

How do you know when a work is finished?

Gut feeling.  Sometimes I'm wrong.

What are your goals for the future?

My main goal is to become oblvious to the madness that surrounds me, or maybe
just be better at coping with it.   Art-wise, to have a great work-space like the one I described in a previous question.

Do you ever do any commissioned work?

No.

How would you like to be remembered in a few hundred years?

Not something that concerns me at all.  I'm just passing by, I don't think
I'm interested in leaving a mark.  I know that my pictures will remain, but it's not why I make them.
 
What advise can you give to beginning artists?

I don't really feel qualified to advise but I would just say, be yourself,
but steal all you want.
 

where are you from, and how old are you if i may ask?
I am from Germany. Was born in July 25 1952 in Gluecksburg at the Baltic Sea.

When did you decided to become an artist?
In 2006

What artists inspire you the most? Pollock, Picasso, Klee, Basquiat, van Gogh and others

What do you love about painting, and what do you hate?
Love the freedom to do everything I want to do and hate…don’t know ;-))

Do you remember When did you made your very first painting?
In my childhood

What mediums do you like to work with, and and why?
Oil Colors because of their brilliance and and Bitumen because of its deepest black
and its viscosity

Are there any members of your family who support you and your art?
My wife maren. Have no other members of a family.

Do you find it easy to exhibit your work in galleries or there are any obstacles hard to overcome?
Not easy. Very difficult. I am too old to be a young crazy and malleable artist. But I got it. Think because of my life experience one can see in my work

Is there a favorite painting you ever made?
Love "Catwoman" and "Dancing Bird"

Are there any other forms of creativity do you like, other than painting?
Yes, I write poems and wrote a crazy book " : Die Chronik vom aufgehenden
Untergang

Do you have a favourite color when you paint?
Love black and red

What would be your ideal studio like?
Large as possible with much light!

Do you ever open your studio to the public... and if not would you consider
doing it at all?
Yes I did. There sometimes come Members of the University and The Community College and sometimes others artists

What inspires you the most, abstract painting, just figurative, or a bit of both?
Bit of both

Do you sell your work online, ebay or galleries only?
No ebay and no online galleries. Sell on demand and EAGL Gallery and Art Fairs

Do you participate on any Artfairs, and is there one that you particularly
like?
I like the Kunstherbst in hamburg. But I do not know many others. Like to go with a gallery to a great art fair!

Do you paint for a living or do you have a job on the side?
For Living with support of my wife.

How would you classify your work?
Not a good craftsman. Intuitve, the paintings come up from  the depth of my heart

Do you have an art degree at all, and do you find it useful?
I am happy about to be an autodidact. Nowadays it is possible to paint without the
traditional knowledges..I am a bad craftsman ;-)), may be of having no studied art. But I like it  

How long does a painting take from beginning to end?
Sometimes 5 Minutes sometimes a day with pauses . Mostly very fast and
intuitive.

How do you know when a work is finished?
A feeling, a voice inside of me, an impulse. Like the air is out of a balloon

What are your goals for the future?
Live without struggling too much. Painting without having no money stress. Find some more galleries a one famous all over the world. But I am happy with the EAGL gallery in berlin

Do you ever do any commissioned work?
One or two times. Its difficult for me

How would you like to be remembered in a few hundred years?
As a very serious painter…but is there anyone who can remember me?

What advise can you give to beginning artists?
Stay true let life and art flow

The website is still under construction, and there's still lots of amzing artists to be added. If any of you have any sudgestions to make thios page better, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for your time and i hope you like what you've seen so far.

There's about a million art dedicated websites out there with lots of great art, but i've
personally never seen nor came across one that was full on with art that i really like. Most times there's few pieces i enjoy seeing... the rest doesn't really appeal to me at all. (That doesn't mean that all other artists are shit or their work isn't good, it just doesn't connect with me instantly, has some works do.) That's why i've came to the conclusion that the best was for me to just create a simple but effective website featuring all my favourite artits.

Mostly! artists i got to know about here on facebook. I'm still working on it as you can see it, and it will take a while to get it up and running properly. This is without a shadow of a doubt the best collection of artists i've ever seen on any fucking web page ever.... As for the website name, that i'm yet to chose but the best i've got so far is "DECONSTRUCTING AESTHETIC FORMS" which doesn't actually sound that bad. There will be interviews with some if not all the involved artists , news and other cool art related shit....