An Interview with David Kassan

Larry Groff:

It’s good. It leads into the next question very well. I read in your blog where you got to spend a couple of hours personally meeting Antonio López Garcia when you were visiting in Madrid recently. Can you tell us more about this meeting? Did you get to show him your work? Please tell us everything.

Borja Study
(Click for larger view)

David Kassan:

Oh, man. That was a really strange moment in my life. I had friend from Madrid who studied with me for three months here in New York. So when he first told me that he was from Madrid, I was like, “Oh, Madrid. Do you know Antonio López?” as if it was a small town.

He’s like, “No, I don’t know him. but my girlfriend’s family lived next to a couple that posed for him,” and everything. And he’s super famous in Madrid, and everybody knows who he is. And they talk about him on TV shows, and everything. And he’s kind of like a celebrity over there.

So I was like, “Oh, that’s awesome.” So I quizzed him about everything that he knew about Garcia, because the guy’s paintings are just unbelievable, and I’ve got tremendous respect for how long he spends on the pieces, as well as his sense of observation of the areas, and his sense of not doing a painting half-assed. Even if he’s not going to finish it, he’s going to put everything into it, you know? And that is just mind-blowingly honest and truthful and just the epitome of everything I would like to be some day as an artist.

But anyway, my friend said if you ever come to Madrid, he would try to put me in contact with Garcia. He said that he would figure out a way. You know, we’ll make it happen he would say. And you know, we’re just friends, and he’s one of my students. So I was like, “That’s cool, man. Right on. That will never happen, but thanks” You know?

And so, I decided to go to Spain last summer, and visit Madrid for the first time. I had been to Portugal the year before and couldn’t make it up to Madrid but was able to visit Seville.

Anyway, the next year I was like, Well, I’m definitely going to Madrid, because I was going back to Portugal. This time I flew into Madrid for five days and then filtered my way down to Portugal for a teaching job that I was doing down there. And my friend said, “Oh, you know…” Right before I flew in, he had told me that, “Garcia’s not in town. I thought we had contact with him and stuff, but he’s not going to be around, so I’m sorry, but maybe he’ll be back the week after and then we could meet him.” I was going to be in Portugal at that time and was bummed.

And I was like, “Well, you know what? If you could get something set up, I will actually get on a train and figure out a way up there. I’ll take a donkey. I mean, I’ll do anything to go to see this guy.”You know, even just a little bit of time, being just in his presence, you know, just to pick his brain. And so, my friend said, “Well, he’s not going to be in town.” I was like, “Okay cool, thanks for helping out anyway”

So anyways, I made the most of my trip in Madrid. Got to see all the paintings that Garcia had at the Reina Sofia. The sculptures and the drawings that he has there, in that room. And then I was actually able to study at the Prado a lot. And I was drawing in the Prado one day, feeling really exhausted and kind of sweaty. It was really hot summer.

And my friend called me up on the phone and said, “Listen. There’s a woman that we know who is an art dealer/art collector and she loves your work, and would love to meet you.” And I’m like, “That’s kind of cool.”

He’s like, “Can you be out front of the Prado. We’ll pick you up at seven and we’ll go over there.” I’m like “Okay.” And I asked if I, “Should wear a button-up shirt?” because I was like all sweaty, in a t-shirt and everything. He said, “Oh, no. Don’t worry about it.” I’m like, “Really? I wanted to be dressed halfway decently, you know, instead of like total ugly American, whatever, being out in Europe.

He goes, “No, no. It’s really important that we’re there on time as opposed to what you look like.” So I was like that’s cool.

So we are in a neighborhood part of Madrid and my buddy says “Oh, remember where I told you Garcia lived the other day?” And I went, “Oh, yeah.”

“Oh, he lives three blocks that way,” and as we’re going past this one road I’m like, “Oh, okay, that’s crazy. Can you stop?: It’s kind of what I wanted, just to be in front of his house. And my friend’s like, “No, no. We’re running really late for our appointment.”

So we get to this hacienda. I think that’s what they call it in Spain’s real Spanish. And he’s buzzing on the outside of the gate. And he gets this women’s voice. And he’s kind of getting upset, after he gets on the intercom. We finally get buzzed through, and we walk into this garden. And there’s actually Garcia sculpture studies in the garden and everything looks very familiar to me.

Joe (Click for larger view)

Larry Groff:

Oh, right, right.

David Kassan:

I’m think that she is a collector and that she has a few of Garcia’s pieces. I mean, she lives in Madrid. She lived only ten blocks away from Garcia. Of course, she’s got his work. You know?

So we walk in. We go up the steps of the modest house and there’s a woman waiting at a door who’s wearing a simple, gray dress, house dress. I thought that this must be the woman’s housekeeper or something? But Something looks really familiar about that woman.

So we walk in and my friend Borja who had set this whole thing up starts talking to her, kind of passionately and he’s kind of a little worried. He’s scratching his head, and he’s like what’s going on. And then the woman calls over to some place. She talks on the phone with someone. And then she comes back to Borja and then he’s like, “Ah, ah, ah. okay. That makes sense. That makes perfect sense.”

And then he turns to me and he says, “We’ve got it.” I’m like, “We’ve got what?” He’s says, “We’re here.” I’m like, “I’m where?” He said, “You’re in Antonio’s house.”, “I am?” And then I start looking around at all the artwork and there’s actually like one of the bronze busts that’s in his book on the table in front of me. And a couple of the paintings of his wife are actually on the wall. And his wife is the one in the simple dress. And she comes like right into focus, because I’m like, Wow. She looks just like the paintings. And I had this weird feeling when I walked into the house like I had actually been there before… based on just seeing his art, which is really amazing. You know how you get that when you go to people’s studios …

Larry Groff:

Sure.

David Kassan:

… where you kind of know the space based on the work that is made there? I kind of felt that way about just being in his house, which is incredible.

Larry Groff:

Well, you saw the movie, right, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnTQHf1E74c”>El Sol Del Membrillo )

David Kassan:

Anyway, so what I’m trying to say is that … Yeah, I saw the movie, but it’s a different house.

Larry Groff:

Oh, that was a different house.

David Kassan:

It’s a completely …. Studio.

Larry Groff:

Oh, I see.

David Kassan:

Yes. It’s a different house and different studio that he’s got. It might be the same home. I think that’s actually in his hometown where he’s from Tomolsoso or something. I don’t know the Spanish.

David Kassan:

But anyway, it’s like a small town outside of Madrid. So, it was like weird. It was as if I had this fog lifted from my head and this was the biggest surprise ever in my life.

David Kassan:

And they started saying, “Antonio’s not here. He’s actually in the studio, and so that’s why my friend was kind of bummed out. I mean he was afraid that they didn’t know about the appointment and that I would have heard what she had said on the intercom, because she had said about Antonio not being there, but I wasn’t paying attention at all. And that the surprise would have been ruined as well as out meeting. And so he said, “Antonio’s at the studio, but it’s right up the street, and we’re going to go hang out with him.” And I was amazed. So I ran to the car and got my video camera out and just started filming, which, when we went to the studio, he actually let me film two hours of our conversation while we were hanging out there.

David Kassan:

Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of the artwork in the studio. We were mostly in the kitchen. And he’s been doing a painting for the Royal Family, actually in the palace. Which I guess means they’re sitting for him, because he doesn’t do anything that’s not from life. So that’s pretty unbelievable.

Yeah, so we talked about two hours. Now the problem is, I don’t speak Spanish. I can only pick up like some of the words, so I’m going to basically take the video and translate it and still haven’t had time to do so. My friends are still over there and haven’t translated it yet for me. It’s been like eight or nine months.

Yeah, so we talked about two hours. Now the problem is, I don’t speak Spanish. I can only pick up like some of the words, so I’m going to basically take the video and translate it and still haven’t had… My friends are still over there and haven’t translated it yet for me. It’s been like eight or nine months.

David Kassan:

So I’m still working on that. But I got a lot out of it because my friend would basically translate and tell me what was going on. In some cases, Antonio just wants figurative art to become more in fashion. And actually, he wants to be more of a figurative painter now that’s what he was saying as opposed to doing landscapes, which I thought was interesting.

He also mentioned how… He knows he’s not going to finish his paintings at all, and that he has started so many of them that he just wants to start now … I don’t want to totally misquote him because I didn’t know the exact gist of everything. But he said the Spanish don’t tend to appreciate figurative painting as much and that the U.S. is actually really farther ahead now, because of all the schools that are opening up for studying perceptual painting and observational painting.

So that was interesting. And I showed him paintings that I had done just (looking at them) on my iPhone, and he seemed to like them, and he was very complimentary.

And yeah. I was blown away, I guess. I mean, I’ve been very lucky in being able to meet all my favorite painters, like Israel Hershberg. I’m trying to go study with him. once I find time to do it. And also, I studied with Jerome Witkin when I was in college, which was definitely a treat, and definitely an interesting experience. And I love like how different each of these artists are with their individual personalities and approaches. I’ve learned so much from them. I also want to study with Vincent Desiderio. I haven’t met him yet. I’d love to talk with him.

Yes. I’ve been very, very lucky. Because Garcia is like a myth, to me. This guy didn’t exist, because who else can actually spend that long on a painting, you know? Who can be that patient with how he works, and that, it’s like legend.