Question:
You’ve been a member of a seminal band, Sonic Youth, as well as having a thriving solo career in music. You also create visual art projects. Is there a different mindset for you creatively between the two?
Answer:
I think many creative artists relish the challenge of working in parallel modes of expression. Since I was quite young I’ve worked in three areas: music, visual art, and writing. Work on a poem mutates into lyrics for a song. Words from lyrics or poems are used in visual art pieces. Ideas for paintings or drawings lead to a way to structure a new piece of music. A musical piece will inspire a visual analog. The mindset is always the same — to seek out creative expression — even if the formats differ. The bottom line is being interested in culture, in all its forms, and wanting to participate.
