I have known Wes Lang for about 15 years now. He has always been passionate about art, music and his friends. Below is an email interview I sent him a few days ago. Even though, I do not share his love for the Dead, I still respect him and his art. Thankfully, I am lucky enough to occassionally DJ and drink with him. Enjoy.
What is your name?
wes lang
Where do you live and work?
brooklyn zoo
How long have you been selling paintings for?
since 2000. shit, thats kind of cool
Do you have any exhibits running right now?
not this exact minute, just had one at alexander and bonin in new york. excellent group show with my friends and fellow professionals, including michelle cortez, eddie martinez, joseph hart, larry krone and elizabeth huey.
ANy future ones?
will have work in london mid-october( fucking love london), miami in december at the nada art fair then solo show at ziehersmith in new york april 2007. actually have shows lined up for a looooooong time, which is a great feeling. also doing a great project for james at supreme skateboards right now, bad ass satanic skate decks. think they come out in the spring.
What is your creative process?
i use alot of reference material, so i’m constantly buying books and stuff on ebay. also look at porn sites for pictures, my favorite being ravenriley.com. she’s amazing. spend alot of time searching thru that shit, culling images, then i draw the stuff that really catches my eye. i’ve paid 500 bucks for a book for just one image that i couldnt live without. i also smoke too many cigarettes while i work. studio floor is covered in butts.
What is your favorite medium?
drawing. i paint a bit and getting into making bronze sculptures, but somehow me and paper are really tight.
it what makes the most sense for me.
What is your current favorite subject?
hard to say. right now my newest is the hells angels. alot of things about the grateful dead are making their way in, along with willie nelson. but basically my work is about all things american. i’m a true flag waving american, not in the political way, it’s just such a god damn amazing place. we get away with everything here.
How has that changed from your past paintings?
my last group of pictures was called “skulls and shit”. it was a two person show at galleri loyal in stockholm with one of my heroes, donald baechler. that was a big thrill for me. all images of skulls and naked girls, well i guess it hasn’t changed, it just expands all the time. i always mix it up a bit, don’t want people to get bored, including me.
I know you are into music quite a bit, what have you been listening
to most?
well as said before, the grateful dead, but i have always been into them. leviathan, old snoop dogg dr. dre shit, sunn o))), j.f.a., suicidal tendencies, wu-tang, rocky votolato, dave bazan, headphones, the doors, hanz bronze (everyone search him out). tons of shit, mostly the dead though.
Does it effect your process?
very much so, i put song lyrics in most of my drawings.
How long does it take for you to finish a piece?
depends, some take minutes some take months.
What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
making a living doing what i want when i want. i’m also proud of the great friends i have, that’s invaluable.
Who do you feel the most overrated artist of all time is?
stevie nicks
I have known you since art school, you left after one semester, how did you
know that it wasn’t for you?
i’m not good at following orders. i am very disciplined, so i dont need people telling what to make and how to make it. art school is a big fat fucking waste of time.
I know you have some ‘awesome’ tattoos, what is your
favorite one?
the skull on the palm of my hand. it says to all my friends above it. thanks scott campbell.
I know your family is pretty creative, how has that effected you?
my mom really encouraged me from a very young age to live my life the way i see fit. i’m really lucky for having that. my brother, keith, is also an amazing artist, we help eachother alot. i think i’ve said alot
alot in this interview.
Are there any contemporary artists that you love?
keith lang (not because he’s my brother, he really is rad), michelle cortez, scott campbell, mike giant, eddie martinez, russell nachman, brian montuori, john seal, joey hart, brett wilson, dan trocchio, sarah ball, brendan donnelly, brian bellott, javier pinon, john copeland, gordon hull from surface2air, ernest loesser, randall mesdon, chris williams, pia dehne, larry krone, cocaine and able, dash snow, sean landers, nigel cooke, i could go on and on. these are all friends of mine basically, but that’s important. as many different ways as we all work, there is a thread keeping us all together, believing in ourselves and each other.
Dead artists?
martin kippenberger, joseph bueys, philip guston, scott la rock, francis bacon, basquiat of course, charles bukowski, old
dirty bastard. those are my biggest influences.
Do you think that the art movement in Brooklyn is important or do you think
it’s bullshit?
i guess its pretty much bullshit because i dont believe most of these people are actually making things. their hair is too cool to have time for hard work. however, there are many people here, fighting the good fight.
Can we buy your paintings / sketches anywhere?
ziehersmith gallery here in new york is my main representaive stateside.
galleri loyal in stockholm handles the other side of the pool.
Anything that people should know about that we dont??
i like doing dishes and popping other peoples zits.
Any last words?
the good you do will follow you…
See more of his work here and here .
Listen to streaming Grateful Dead here.
Grateful Dead _ Cumberland Blues
