0:00:08.080,0:00:08.920 Alright. 0:00:14.200,0:00:18.920 ["New York Close Up"] 0:00:21.780,0:00:22.980 I think this is a... 0:00:22.980,0:00:24.420 smell that smells like popcorn... 0:00:24.440,0:00:27.080 There's a fucking popcorn factory right here. 0:00:27.080,0:00:28.220 [Jamian Juliano-Villani, Artist] 0:00:28.220,0:00:29.140 Popcorn. 0:00:29.140,0:00:30.040 Tires. 0:00:30.460,0:00:31.380 More tires. 0:00:35.240,0:00:36.780 It seems so rare and lucky 0:00:36.780,0:00:38.300 that an artist can actually 0:00:38.300,0:00:40.690 think about the things[br]that they want all day-- 0:00:40.690,0:00:42.900 and, like, research[br]as much as you want. 0:00:43.300,0:00:44.940 That's their job. 0:00:44.940,0:00:48.600 And, I think going out[br]and doing stuff in the real world 0:00:48.600,0:00:50.020 also counts as work. 0:00:51.500,0:00:52.500 It's crazy, 0:00:52.500,0:00:53.800 you can live in New York 0:00:53.820,0:00:56.240 and just, like, screw around[br]and express yourself-- 0:00:57.420,0:00:59.280 and get paid, maybe? 0:00:59.900,0:01:01.460 That's a privilege. 0:01:04.460,0:01:09.000 ["Jamian Juliano-Villani's Field Work"] 0:01:09.780,0:01:11.020 So stupid. 0:01:35.480,0:01:38.280 I've been going to Strand[br]ever since I moved to New York. 0:01:39.080,0:01:40.920 Whenever I'm restless with my work,[br]I just go to Strand-- 0:01:40.920,0:01:43.060 and I'm like,[br]"I'll find something here!" 0:01:44.700,0:01:45.999 It's like an event. 0:01:46.000,0:01:48.610 I'll usually be there for, like,[br]four hours. 0:01:49.180,0:01:51.020 This is good for color, but... 0:01:51.640,0:01:52.880 Because I like him. 0:01:54.240,0:01:55.760 "Master of Make-Believe"! 0:01:57.200,0:01:58.700 Have that one. 0:01:59.240,0:02:00.660 Signed copy, too. 0:02:01.600,0:02:04.500 I really like trying to get things from books, 0:02:04.500,0:02:06.500 as opposed to just the Internet. 0:02:07.460,0:02:11.000 You'll find one specific thing[br]that you won't find anywhere else. 0:02:11.009,0:02:14.050 It feels like it's more mine[br]if I get it from a book. 0:02:14.050,0:02:16.240 On the Internet,[br]everything is everywhere, so... 0:02:17.140,0:02:18.140 That is fucked up. 0:02:18.180,0:02:19.020 What is this!? 0:02:22.940,0:02:27.100 I mean, I base so many paintings off of[br]books from Strand. 0:02:28.760,0:02:31.530 I'm really into throwaway ephemera, you know? 0:02:31.530,0:02:33.740 Or things that people passed over. 0:02:37.720,0:02:39.540 It's like a flipbook, the way I look at them. 0:02:39.560,0:02:42.020 And I can tell immediately[br]if it's going to be useful or not. 0:02:42.240,0:02:42.960 Ugly. 0:02:42.960,0:02:43.600 No. 0:02:43.880,0:02:46.760 So, like, you can get a million books[br]on, like, caricature art. 0:02:46.760,0:02:48.430 So, which one do you pick? 0:02:49.060,0:02:51.780 It can't just be like the most obvious reference. 0:02:52.040,0:02:53.240 There's something off with it. 0:02:53.240,0:02:54.700 Or something unique about it. 0:02:55.040,0:02:56.220 It's hard to explain, 0:02:56.220,0:02:58.120 but I feel like when I look through something, 0:02:58.120,0:03:00.900 like, a light will go off[br]and be like, "That's good!" 0:03:12.840,0:03:13.800 Can I get in? 0:03:14.660,0:03:15.460 Aw, come on! 0:03:16.400,0:03:17.040 Yeah? 0:03:17.080,0:03:17.720 No? 0:03:17.740,0:03:18.320 Yes? 0:03:18.440,0:03:19.420 [CARS HONKING] 0:03:19.420,0:03:20.460 What the fuck is this!? 0:03:21.160,0:03:22.020 [DRIVER] You want to open right in... 0:03:22.020,0:03:23.660 Being in the crossing walk!? 0:03:23.660,0:03:24.580 [JULIANO-VILLANI] Sorry, I didn't know! 0:03:24.580,0:03:25.220 [DRIVER] Come on! 0:03:25.220,0:03:26.360 [JULIANO-VILLANI] Alright! Alright! 0:03:30.640,0:03:33.160 Living in New York[br]and growing up in Jersey, 0:03:33.440,0:03:35.560 the least cool thing you could possibly do 0:03:35.560,0:03:37.100 is go to Times Square. 0:03:37.720,0:03:40.500 But there's something[br]that I really love about it. 0:03:40.880,0:03:44.600 Not only is it uniquely American,[br]but it's also... 0:03:44.660,0:03:46.540 It's like, you know, you take everything[br]from your fridge, 0:03:46.680,0:03:47.720 and you put it in a bowl 0:03:47.720,0:03:49.560 and try to make, like, some gross-ass meal. 0:03:49.760,0:03:52.260 You think you could, like,[br]force someone to eat it? 0:03:52.260,0:03:54.480 That's what it feels like, and I like that. 0:03:57.960,0:03:59.220 Ripley's Believe It or Not-- 0:03:59.720,0:04:02.840 it's something I wanted to do for a while[br]in terms of research. 0:04:03.800,0:04:06.460 It's like these fake sets and gimmicks. 0:04:06.460,0:04:07.460 And it is tasteless 0:04:07.460,0:04:08.460 and it is tacky. 0:04:08.460,0:04:10.340 But it's a way to get your brain moving. 0:04:13.940,0:04:14.920 Oh man! 0:04:16.340,0:04:17.340 Those aren't real!? 0:04:17.340,0:04:18.900 Oh my God, they are! 0:04:19.260,0:04:20.829 Oh, hell no! 0:04:20.829,0:04:21.960 Look at this. 0:04:22.840,0:04:25.000 It's like some quick mental vacation. 0:04:25.680,0:04:27.940 You find yourself getting really into things 0:04:27.940,0:04:29.810 that you would never dip your toe into. 0:04:30.140,0:04:31.400 Oh my God, I can't! 0:04:31.640,0:04:33.060 That's so gross. 0:04:34.280,0:04:36.120 It's like a Paul Thek or something. 0:04:38.160,0:04:41.320 There is no real level of good or bad there. 0:04:41.320,0:04:43.000 You know, who the hell can tell? 0:04:43.280,0:04:44.379 So, when I make my paintings, 0:04:44.380,0:04:46.300 it's kind of like I can't tell either. 0:04:46.490,0:04:47.480 The line is so thin, 0:04:47.490,0:04:49.080 like I get confused all the time. 0:04:49.080,0:04:52.050 And finding, like, the I'm-not-sure area 0:04:52.050,0:04:54.520 is the thing that I find interesting. 0:04:54.840,0:04:57.960 Portrait of Abe Lincoln on that house fly... 0:04:58.680,0:04:59.440 [LAUGHS] 0:04:59.580,0:05:00.780 Which is insane. 0:05:01.700,0:05:02.860 Going into Ripley's, 0:05:02.860,0:05:04.200 you know what the value of[br]all that stuff is? 0:05:04.460,0:05:05.260 Forty dollars-- 0:05:05.280,0:05:06.120 the entry fee!-- 0:05:06.120,0:05:06.800 and that's it. 0:05:07.540,0:05:11.080 But, you put one of those objects in a vitrine 0:05:11.080,0:05:13.360 and you put it next to something[br]like Paul Thek-- 0:05:13.800,0:05:15.180 and there are no labels or anything-- 0:05:15.180,0:05:16.320 what is the difference? 0:05:17.080,0:05:18.140 They're both ephemera. 0:05:18.180,0:05:19.600 They're both made from a point in time. 0:05:19.600,0:05:20.900 They're both cultural. 0:05:21.600,0:05:24.620 Like, the pretense of art feels weird[br]and wrong. 0:05:29.280,0:05:30.040 And that's the thing-- 0:05:30.060,0:05:31.960 I think anyone that is an artist 0:05:31.960,0:05:34.420 is constantly feeling the guilt of that. 0:05:34.810,0:05:36.180 So that's why I kind of like 0:05:36.180,0:05:38.219 these other weird elements of life-- 0:05:38.220,0:05:39.900 and especially life in New York. 0:05:40.520,0:05:42.499 It's like lowest-common denominator-- 0:05:42.500,0:05:44.640 You know, bottom common denominator?-- 0:05:45.080,0:05:45.800 And... 0:05:47.180,0:05:48.760 I think it's inspiring! 0:05:50.320,0:05:51.120 No one cares. 0:05:51.140,0:05:51.980 No one's looking. 0:05:51.980,0:05:53.140 You can act however you want. 0:05:53.520,0:05:55.180 You can be whoever you want. 0:05:58.540,0:05:59.660 Seems pretty cool.