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Walking around an abandoned floor (in a high rise) near Wall Street, the artist David Foox, showed me around his and his fellow friends’ workspace. Empty cubicles filled the entire floor. There was something eerie and yet enticing about the workspace. We sat down in his area to discuss his “As Within So Without” show that was displayed in July at the Lyon’s Wier gallery in Chelsea.
July 2010
FancyFace: I don’t get a chance to see art as much as I should. I was really glad to have the opportunity to see your work at the Lion’s Wier Gallery in New York City. Do you think the location of the gallery has an impact on displaying your artwork?
David Foox: Yes. It’s a high traffic area. There’s a ton of people that past by that may not have the opportunity to view it.
FancyFace: How often are you at the gallery to talk to the art enthusiasts who stop by?
Foox: During the show I was in the gallery daily.
FancyFace: How long did it take to put your “As within so without” show together?
Foox: Approximately 6 months.
FancyFace: I take it you’re an organ donor?
Foox: Yes.
Foox’s artwork deals with the X-rays of celebrities and every day people. He takes the X-ray and paints on them. The Lyon’s Wier gallery had other artists check out his artwork, in the back room of the gallery their Foox inspired pieces were displayed.
FancyFace: When you showed me the “My Heart” piece you mentioned that it was a Valentine’s gift for a friend. What made you want to give that as a gift?
Foox: It’s raw. It’s really vivid and pretty real. Coming out of the place that I was at in my art and also in my personal life, I felt like I wanted to give this kinda chunk of myself away.
FancyFace: If you could have any celebrity’s X-ray’s whose would you have?
Foox: I really want Natalie Portman’s chest X-ray. I really would like Harrison Ford’s X-ray. Whoopi Goldberg’s X-ray.
FancyFace: I love Whoopi.
Foox: Yeah she’s cool. Zac Efron’s hand, Shia Lebouf’s hand X-ray from his car accident. And also I really would love my boys Pizzi and Mysto. They’re a duo act together but neither of them has had any [X-rays] taken.
FancyFace: That’d be cool if you get Madonna’s from when she had her horse injury a few years back.
Foox: It’s funny that you mention Madonna, I was listening to one of her songs, “I’ve heard it all before,” I think its called and I was really connected to her. I mean I know everyone says that about her. I’m not sure about this song title.
I took a few seconds to think about it…
FancyFace: (sings) “I don’t want to hear, I don’t want to know, please don’t say forgive me, I’ve heard it all before and I can’t take it anymore.” It’s from her song “Sorry.” That’s actually from the album she was promoting after her horse accident.
Foox: Yeah that’s the song.
FancyFace: Can you talk a little bit about the bunny?
Foox: The universal bunny comes in a sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is designed to look like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh’s crypt. It contains the baby blue lining and gold latitude lines around the outside of the sarcophagus. And inside it’s lined with NRA target paper. There’s a red carpet that unravels so the universal bunny can march down the carpet. The symbolism on the bunny itself is supposed to replicate ancient teachings that explain our entire universal and solar system by looking within ourselves.
FancyFace: When did you immerse yourself in the art world?
Foox: I’ve always painted and doodled. I became a full time career artist approximately four years ago.
FancyFace: Where were you when you started?
Foox: I started in Texas.
FancyFace: What made you come to NYC?
Foox: (takes awhile to answer) I don’t know.
FancyFace: How did you get involved with Lyon’s Wier Gallery?
Foox: Michael and myself are friends through a social network. He approached me and asked me if I would like to exhibit my artwork in his gallery space during the summer of 2010. I said I would love to. The show has been really successful and I’ve really enjoyed working with Michael and his team.
FancyFace: You’ve told me you were headed out to California. What brings you out there?
Foox: Originally I was only going for San Diego Comic-Con from July 20th to the 26th. I’m also going to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
FancyFace: What is Comic-Con?
Foox: The largest comic book collection in America and maybe the world. Each year they feature a different summer blockbuster movie. This year they’ve featured “Tron,” last year they featured “District 9.” I’m going to be with StrangeKiss, Nathan Hamill and Ritzy Periwinkel, Ron English, Monkey King, and Kid Robot in the custom vinyl toy section, displaying my new prototypes of my new toys. It’ll also be the first public viewing of my organ donor app iPhone game.
FancyFace: Are you working on showing any new artwork in the fall?
Foox: I have an event coming up on September 23rd at the Red Bull Lofton, located at 40 Thompson in Soho, it’s going to feature my artwork and be an immersive experience with the technology company Wake the Giant.
FancyFace: When you look at your life two years from now what do you see?
Foox: That’s 2012 right?
FancyFace: Yep.
Foox: The world is changing pretty quickly. You think there are going to be some major shifts politically, culturally, national borders, and financially. It seems from my perspective there’s a changing of the guard. For me personally I would like to have achieved private artistic goals that I’m currently working and striving towards. I work hard every day from morning ‘til late in the night so I feel confident that with each day I get a little closer. My ultimate goal would be to expand my awareness into places I’ve not yet traveled or experience.
