Andy Golub is an American artist who transforms objects with his art by changing the way they are perceived. Andy is a NewYork-based artist who produces work around the world. His art can be found on anything from canvases to murals, cars and very often on human form. People are not embarrassed to stand naked in front of the artist and be literally redesigned.
Human forms become canvases, integral parts of a wonderful puzzle.
We had the pleasure of getting to know Andy better and understand what lies behind his art.
My art is a genuine expression of how I feel at any given time. I guess it’s like dreaming, in that it’s the underlying feelings that I’m not consciously aware of at the time.
Hello Andy, tell us about yourself.
I’m just a typical person I guess. I’ve always been creative and expressive and I’ve always wanted to create art as long as I could remember.
How would you describe your art and what inspires you?
My art is a genuine expression of how I feel at any given time. I guess it’s like dreaming, in that it’s the underlying feelings that I’m not consciously aware of at the time. I often have a desire to create something new. Drawing is always right there because I can just grab a pen and paper. But often I want to paint or write poetry. I am inspired from within.
How and when did you get introduced to the idea of body painting?
I started to experiment with painting many different objects. I painted tables, hats, rocks, cars and mannequins. So the next step was painting a live person.
I think artists have an important gift in that they can share from a place that others don’t even know exists.
Can you tell us what are the emotions you want to transmit?
I think there’s a hidden truth that lies underneath. It’s not political. It’s not about being
right or wrong, or good or bad. There’s a certain neutrality to it. Sort of like being a tree. There’s a strong sense of being that is more connected to our essence than of the world around us. I think artists have an important gift in that they can share from a place that others don’t even know exists. The problem is that people don’t really care. They are more convinced that basic material goods that provide status are more worthy. I think most artists know better and don’t really care about that stuff.
What message do you want to spread with your art?
On one hand I want to simply share who I am, to be true to whatever is inside me. On the other hand, I want to inspire others to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, whatever that may be.
What are the challenges that you had to overcome?
For a long time, people didn’t understand my work. I never changed my art to please people. I just worked through it, following my inspiration. Eventually I developed more skills and then people loved it.
It is quite refreshing to see that there are all kinds of human anatomy that you paint. How do you choose the models/people for your projects?
So many different people want to get painted. Some are old, young, male, female, large, small, big and small. Im happy to paint everyone. Each body is different but they're alll human beings and each one has a soul and that’s the most important.
Do you think you have something special with your art?
It’s hard to say, but I think many people want to express themselves and share their unique perspectives, but very few have the determination to always find a way to connect with others through art. I believe that is what separates me from most people.
Tell us a little about HCA (Human Connection Arts) and your work with them.
I was doing a lot of live body paint in the streets of New York City. I had become pretty well known. I didn’t want to sell the images. I wanted to do the painting, inspire others and bring people together through art. So I started a nonprofit organization.
Would you share with us what are your future projects?
I have always allowed my artistic inspiration to lead me and I will continue to do that. I’ve painted on canvases, many objects including murals and cars and I’ve painted over 1000 people. I will allow my art to take it’s own path. This past winter, I painted groups of people in a studio. Right now I am yearning to get back to painting on the
streets.
Follow Andy's work on his Instagram account.
Interview & Article by
Vivian di Lorenzo
Images from