From Obama to Marilyn Monroe to — naturally — himself, the artist Rob Pruitt has covered a wide range of subjects and mediums in his lifetime; one of his most prominent works to date is “The Andy Monument,” a 2011 statue of Andy Warhol that spent nearly a year and a half standing proudly in Union Square, near Warhol’s Factory stomping grounds. T caught up with the artist as he prepared a new retrospective at the Brant Foundation Art Study Center in Greenwich, Conn., “Rob Pruitt 50th Birthday Bash” (this Sunday, May 17, is actually Pruitt’s 51st birthday; shh). The foundation commemorated the exhibition with a private event yesterday, which included an auction of items contributed by members of the Brant family themselves — yes, including the billionaire paper magnate after whom the foundation is named, Peter M. Brant, and his wife, the supermodel Stephanie Seymour; and yes, the offerings include a to-die-for assortment of Seymour’s shoes. Proceeds from the tag sale, which is ongoing throughout the exhibition, will benefit the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. In the slide show above, Pruitt shared a few of his favorite items up for sale with T; he’ll also select some items later this month to add to his famous eBay page.
In an interview a few years back you said there should be a pilgrimage to the Andy Warhol statue in New York. Why should people make the pilgrimage to the Brant Foundation?
If there’s one reason to make the pilgrimage to the Brant Foundation, it’s the over-the-top tag sale that’s been organized cooperatively by the entire family. The Brants really cleaned out their attics, basements and closets, and the result has completely surpassed my expectations. Just to give you an idea, Stephanie has over 30 pieces of couture fashion, and Peter has saddles, Marc Newson chairs and hand-tailored suits from Paris. It’s an incredible collection of items, one that becomes a great family portrait in how it tells the story of their passions. And it’s all for charity.
Similarly, you mentioned in another interview that Andy represents “courage and possibility.” More than 2,000 of your portraits of Obama will go on view at MOCAD this month. What does Obama mean to you? A changing America where everyone is represented equally.
Do you consider your body of work to be inspired by those ideas? When I was talking about Warhol, it was in the context of his being a symbol of New York City. People are still moving to New York City from all around the world because it still represents possibility. I saw “The Andy Monument” as an alternative version of the Statue of Liberty that would welcome all the freaks and misfits (in which I include myself). I guess I’ve always considered my work as being representative of underdogs and outsiders.
You’ve embraced both commercial and fine art. What does it mean to be an artist today? It’s being redefined every day. Even the way people use Photoshop or design their Facebook pages and Instagram feeds. More and more people have the opportunity to express themselves in ways they couldn’t 10 years ago.
Portraiture is such a integral part of art. Who do you want to capture next? I’d like to make a monument to Malcolm McLaren in London. Possibly on King’s Road.