8 Artists Give Advice to the Young | Louisiana Channel

Published 2015-01-05
Watch, listen and soak in the words of 8 prominent artists, who have strong and diverse thoughts on what constitutes insightful advice to young artists.

Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovich feels that it is essential to be ready to fail. South African artist William Kentridge believes that good advice has more to do with the interaction between the person giving it and the person receiving it. Rock singer and poet Patti Smith shares the advice that writer William S. Burroughs once gave her: to build and protect your name by producing good work, and eventually the name will become its own currency. American singer David Byrne emphasizes the importance of not undervaluing your own artistic satisfaction. German film director Wim Wenders stresses that you have to do what no one else can do better than you. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson recommends that you are sensitive to your surroundings - and British artists Dinos and Jake Chapman cut to the bone.

For full-length interviews with the above artists and more, have a look here:

channel.louisiana.dk/search/content/Advice

Produced by: Christian Lund
Edited by: Kamilla Bruus
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2014

Supported by Nordea-fonden

#PattiSmith #DavidByrne #WimWenders #MarinaAbramovic #WilliamKentridge #JakeDinosChapman #OlafurEliasson #AdviceToTheYoung

All Comments (21)
  • My advice to young artists: Don't create to post online, create for yourself and the people in your life.
  • @andrewmc147
    "We're too immersed in our own bullshit to give anyone else advice ". Lol definitely the best advice
  • I'm a self-employed artist ... I've never been so broke in my entire life, I never felt so alone, I've never been so unsuccessful, I've never failed so much ... But I've never felt SO ALIVE like that before !
  • @OlisART
    Think like a child and never stop playing!
  • @beefheart1410
    "Becoming routine is the end of everything". Definitely.
  • Some advice: Stop looking at everybody else's creations or you'll lose your own. Don't want to be them. Want to be you.
  • @hannah-jv5hh
    kudos that they didn't add dramatic "motivational" music to make the advice seem better- the advice was good from the start and needed no backing track.
  • @scaredypicker
    I sometimes feel as though I have a great amount of creativity within me fighting to get out, but like a kid who's afraid to jump into a swimming pool, I hold it in
  • @littleripper312
    Love the guy who said basically that advice will fall on deaf ears unless that person is seeking those words. So often we hear the advice we need but don't truly take it to heart until we hears it sometimes years or decades later and are ready to listen.
  • @MCwhiteStudios
    “When you become routine, that is end of everything.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard something ring so true for every my everyday life, let alone my creative life. Most people would say having a structured routine would help you and benefit you and is almost necessary, but I feel the exact opposite. At least for myself. Whenever I start to fall into a routine, that lasts too long, I start to feel awful. Anxious, depressed, held back, just wanting to break from that. Doing the same things over and over and over and over and over again. I can do things for a short length of time, but it’s almost as if my brain and body just refuses things once they’ve become too routine. Even things I should or kind of want to be doing. And it makes me feel even worse when people talk down to me or belittle me for feeling that way, and it probably sounds ridiculous, but that’s just how I feel and need to operate. I need to take breaks and move onto the next thing or something different, then I can return to something I’ve done for a while. But I can’t do the same thing forever. Especially in my daily life, and definitely in my creative life.
  • I went through a phase of deleting all the spiritual groups I had joined on face book and replaced them with art groups. Best move I made on face book. My game of life changed from arguing with people to growing with those who were really transforming themselves through their art.
  • @vinotinto8547
    "It makes sens that we're gonna be really happy and things are gonna be really fucked up too" - Patti Smith, Life 101
  • @maunamars968
    "The only advice you'll ever hear is the advice you'll you already know and so hearing it, it's confirmed" I agree so much and thank you for your confirmation
  • @richspizzaparty
    My advice: have a job. As an artist I avoided it for far to long. And NEVER quit making stuff. And know YOU are the masterpiece you seek to create.
  • @aditi013
    "...You'll loose people you love." It is breaking me apart.
  • Yea. I just started drawing and painting. I do it everyday t had my self doubts. I am 50 years old I start drawing and painting. I know I am taking a risk but now it’s time to try again since I have these videos
  • @theartcouch5696
    "In your life time, you will probably have one good idea if you are a really good artist, and if you are genius, two good ideas, and thats it. but be careful with them."
    wow.
  • @TheThruglass
    "Don't think you can escape yourself by your choice of subject matter". Great!