"The Artist Interrogated: Interviews and Other Inquisitions"

This reading is an excerpt of some interviews and conversations with artists about their work and art in general.  The artists included are Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Balthus, Jackson Pollock, and Veronese (mostly modern artists, though not all).  Here are some short summaries of a few of the interviews:  Damien Hirst's involves questioning from the trial of Mark Bridger, an artist who defaced Hirst's work of a lamb in formaldehyde by pouring black ink into it.  Apparently Bridger thought that Hirst would appreciate the unconventional quality of the stunt, but Hirst did not seem to be very pleased.  He said that he thought about leaving the work, but then decided that would make it seem ok for people to come in and do whatever they wanted to works of art.  

Damien Hirst, Away from the Flock, 1994

Andy Warhol converses with a girl Damian about artists, taking risks, and "new" art.  Warhol sees Damian as naive and possessing a hopelessly romantic vision of artists as risk-takers who must make something people may consider bad initially in order to be successful.  Jasper Johns comes across as not being very thoughtful and premeditated about the decision-making in his works, at least until the end of the interview.  Balthus observes to David Bowie that subjects to him often have little or no importance, they are just an excuse to make a painting and to reach an inner feeling or truth.