In Conversation with Andy Woll
Photo Credit : Roman Koval
Andy Woll lives and works in Los Angeles. He has exhibited work at Denny Dimin Gallery, New York, NY; Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Blum and Poe, Los Angeles, CA; Rachel Ufner Gallery, New York, NY and others. His work has been featured in Cultured Magazine, Artnet, Two Coats of Paint among others. Andy Woll is represented by Night Gallery.
I had the pleasure of asking Andy about his new exhibition, the use of AI in art, and so much more.
UZOMAH: What are the main sources of your most impactful inspiration, and how do they influence your creative process when developing new art pieces?
ANDY: I am suspicious of inspiration. My interests are my best guide, and even they are not infallible. I like to feel as though I am being taken by the scruff of the neck and forced to do something I otherwise would not, that is the surest sign I have of being on the trail of a piece of art.
U: How did the theme for New Objectivity come about, and what is your process for coming up with themes for your exhibitions?
A: The introspective, expressive idea of making a painting became distasteful to me. I felt that if not inward, then I better look outward to make my work. New Objectivity is an attempt to exhibit that shift. My process is to work; I’m not sure about themes, but the paintings form groups, and these become the exhibition.
Andy Woll Mt Wilson (Vermillion Field I), 2025 oil on linen 20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
U: In the rapidly growing use of AI, where do you see traditional artists who still stay the course, as they have always been?
A: Is an artist “traditional” now just because we don’t use AI? That will make conservatives of many of us. I’m indifferent to tech in art, I don’t use it because it doesn’t interest me, but I don’t think of that as a strength. Kind of a weakness technically.
U: Can you share specific moments or experiences that led you to pursue a career in the arts and shaped your artistic path?
A: My mother had a vision of a little tramp (like Charlie Chaplin) falling and getting back up as I was being born. Visiting the studio of Leo Robinson, great Philadelphia based painter. Copying a Van Eyck St. Francis while I was in art school. Winning a thousand dollars for my senior project. The death of my girlfriend Holly Yoko Phillips, a great painter in her own right. The commercial success of my work with Night Gallery in Los Angeles.
Andy Woll Mt. Wilson (Cerulean Field III), 2025 oil on linen 54 x 37 1/2 in (137.2 x 95.3 cm)
U: What are some of your favorite aspects of being a visual artist?
A: Hand, eye, heart.
U: What is something that art has taught you about yourself that you didn’t know before, or are now able to see more vividly?
A: That the subjective is objective, and vice versa
U: Are your color choices more of a stream-of-consciousness approach, or are they planned?
A: I have to be very careful about color. I am officially red-green colorblind, though I think it is a mild case.
Andy Woll Figure Four in the Artist’s Studio, 2025 oil on linen 72 x 54 in (182.9 x 137.2 cm)
U: How would you advise an emerging artist on approaching a gallery or seeking representation?
A: I think that is very regional. In Los Angeles, I would say, go to Taix
U: Is going to art school needed, or can it be bypassed for the most part?
A: It is completely unnecessary, but it does provide two valuable things. Time and Space, if you need those, art school is great.
U: What is next for you?
A: I’m working at a residency near Nice and planning a NY exhibition of new portrait paintings.
For more information about Andy’s work, please follow him on Instagram here. The magazine also featured his latest exhibition with Night Gallery, which can be found here.
