Studio Visits: Andy Blank Studio Visits: Andy Blank

By: Keith Estiler

studio visits

If Andy Warhol originated the idea that fine art could be mass-produced, then his clear successor in continuing method for today’s generation would be Andy Blank. Like Warhol, Blank takes a commercial approach to his art, which the anonymous artist creates in a sprawling art factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There, Blank works with a team of artists, designers and curators to develop a seasonal collection of roughly 50 original works. The artworks are available to purchase online and arrive in ready-to-hang white or black shadowbox frames. Inside the packaging are IKEA-esque instructions to help his budding art buyers seamlessly install and display works in their home like an expert. Earlier this year he launched his eponymous brand on an e-commerce website, which offers a diverse selection of Blank’s original artworks including photography, paintings, drawings, embossing and other media. With a goal of being budget-friendly, Blank prices his works from $99 to $199 USD. But as he emphasizes, a lower cost shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. “When you think of ‘affordable art’ in the fine art world it usually means that these works are mass-produced, machine-printed canvases or just sh*tty work,” he tells HYPEBEAST. “I’m making contemporary art for everyone, but it’s important to maintain the integrity of our product.”

Inside Andy Blank’s Affordable Art Factory

Exploring the otherworldly artworks of the Brooklyn-based painter and sculptor.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn andyblank.com

Have you seen a big shift in Helsinki’s approach to fashion since then?

Andy Blank

In the last years it's changed a lot. Now you can see teenagers buying Raf Simons and Off-White™, and all the super expensive brands. I guess their parents buy them the clothes, but in my days when we were teenagers we didn't have that expensive clothing. But I think it's fun that people are more interested in fashion.

At what point did you want to become a fashion designer?

It was really by accident. During my 20's I tried to find myself, I don't know, maybe five times. Then when I was completely exhausted and had nothing, one of my friends just said, “You were always a bit interested in fashion, why don't you try that?” Before that I was interested in doing something artistic, but I didn't know what it could be. After that I applied for sewing school and that was it. I hate to use terms like fell in love because that doesn't sound Finnish at all, but basically I fell in love with the idea of making something myself.

I just always liked the name Andy. For Blank, I don't really know but “Andy Blank” just rolls off the tongue. The last name came naturally, it's sort of one-dimensional second name.

I was in this space that was a fraction of the size of my current studio that we're in now. I really couldn't do much except create miniature works and conceptualize works. In this 22,000-square-foot space, I can lay out massive canvases. I got plenty of room to spread out. It also allows me to set up little themes in different corners of this space. I don't need to go find a space to create these specific presentations. Tell us about the layout of your studio. I need everything to be at least 22 steps of me. Whether it's paint or framing, anything I want, I need it to be close by because I don't want to be like, “Oh sh*t, I got a great idea, but I need to order it from Amazon or walk to the art store.” This space allows me to really just grow in some ideas and when they do pop up, it happens super quick. Part of the brand is that it needs to be seasonal and quick with ideas. If something is hot and I know it's going to be great, I can just use this cutting machine or something and it'll be done super quick. Andy Blank also appears to be very process-focused. When I'm scrolling through your Instagram account, I see a lot of pastel-filled videos showcasing how each of the works are made. Social media is so crucial to the brand. Instagram, especially, is becoming like a catalog in a non-tacky way. I feel as though people want to see how these works are made. It really plays into this human element, showing our audience that actual hands were used to create these pieces. Hands framed them. Hands signed them. Hands packaged them. Hands got them out the door. Minimal machine effort. These videos are also similar to instructional videos. Definitely, I just want people to see what goes into it. It's an educational thing and it gives artwork a story. People want to buy into a story. If you slap something up there, people want to see some context like what the piece is made of. Before we release anything there's so much of a story built up that people already know what they're getting before they're available.

How would you describe your style when you were growing up?

Andy Blank recently gave us a rare look into his studio to discuss his upbringing, creative processes, and what the future holds for his unconventional art brand. Read the full interview below and then view available artworks at AndyBlank.com.

Where did the name Andy Blank come from?

I was doing reverse painted acrylic polymer peel paintings for a long time, and those were hyper-detailed and all super hard-edged and super meticulous. It got to a point with that where I guess around like 2012, I wanted to start doing something more visceral and more painterly and less sort of slick.

When you started Andy Blank in February, what were your first experiments like?

Good advice is work a lot, experiment a lot, and see a lot of art. Find out who the artist is who you really admire and what do you like about their work, what can you bring into the work, but also how can you experiment with materials and make paint do something that's your own language. At least for me, that's always been really important to my practice.

“A lot of these affordable art companies don't create anything that is entirely handmade. There's no human element in anything.”

Andy Blank

“It's accessible art for everyone and it's museum-quality.”

The number one thing was the textural works. If an artwork can cast a shadow on itself that's something that I found out really attracted people. Some of my buyers have sent me photos of how the textural paintings they purchased look different during different times of the day or under varying lights. If it's actually 3D and something you can actually touch, that's just something I didn't realize people would be so into. Two-dimensional pieces just really miss that quality.

“There are elements of creativity in what I do but it's very process-focused work.”

Cj Hendry

Define the Andy Blank ethos for me.

It's accessible art for everyone and it's museum-quality. It's easy to understand and easy to buy. That's it in a nutshell. What made you want to create this persona? Andy was birthed through this current art market where there is nothing out there for a crowd who wants to buy high-quality art at a low-range price point. This is a crowd who typically doesn't buy fine, contemporary art. Some of the brands that sell affordable art right now are just selling cr*p. I would never buy that art because the quality is so cheap. Being in the industry for so long, I knew that you can use top-quality stuff and it really doesn't have to cost $100,000 USD. I spent about 12 months putting "Andy Blank" all together. I had so many ideas in my mind, but I always knew that I had to charge under $200 USD for everything. I knew there was a gap in the market. What sort of specific gripes do you have for companies that sell affordable art? Ugh, these companies are so one-dimensional. The main thing that jumped out to me is that it is very affordable to get a printed canvas done, but the quality is so sh*tty. Another miss is that they don't really sell three-dimensional art, but it can be done in a super easy way. A lot of these affordable art companies don't create anything that is entirely handmade. There's no human element in anything.

Did your parents approve of you becoming an artist?

They were not happy. While my folks were supportive of me as an artist when I was an adolescent. By the time I'm a teenager and I'm introducing graffiti, they were not happy about it. It was like myself and my brothers, we just took a left turn and we were just lost as far as they were concerned. The thing that they kept saying over and over again was, "If you get caught, don't call home." That was the number one thing that you understood is you've got nobody that you can call. You've got to figure it out on your own. The goal was to not get caught, period.

Did you ever get caught?

No, I never did get caught. I never did. It's the one benefit of being part of the crew is that you just have to be faster than the slowest guy in the crew.

Any accidental discoveries that you've made during the creative process?

Your practice is multifaceted. What's your day-to-day like? How do you approach each different medium?

My team and I plan out what's coming up. There's also a bunch of orders but that's the boring e-commerce side. Everyday we try and think of something new that we've seen and share it with each other. We bring out some stuff and we play with it. Everyone gets involved. We usually get three or four minds on it. It's a mixture of running a business and also, “Let's have some fun.” We want to make things that blow people's minds. We would get stale if we're just following orders.

I just came out the back with a bunch of tie-dye. I'm also shooting some more neon. I had a neon shaped to look like a basketball court and shooting that was so much fun, but it was black and white. I want to shoot neon with different colors. I also have this new CNC routing machine, so I want to try and play with different canvases. Not just square or rectangles. I have this extra tool to think differently. Everyone's got ideas too. It's like a daily science experiment in this studio. Why is it so important for you to have full creative control? I feel if you're thinking about the artworks too much and outside influences, it can get a bit muddy in the creative process. I could easily source photos to use for prints, but then I'll just become like the other art sites that sell those mass-produced works. I like to take all of the photographs myself. I don't want to be this businessman that sources other artists. I would rather be this businessman who makes his own art. That's the angle I want to take because I don't think anyone is doing that. There isn't really an artist who wants to grow a brand. There's nothing outsourced here creatively, it all comes from the studio.

What are you experimenting with now?

Working with collage was a way for me to really challenge myself. A lot of my friends that do graffiti and street art primarily work with spray paint and acrylics. I'd done that for a lot of years and I thought to myself, "I want to try a different medium." Collage just spoke to me and I just thought it would be interesting to see what I could do with this medium. Working with glue sticks and paper was something that seemed attractive to me.

Let's talk about developing your most recent style. Where was the source of inspiration for that and how long ago did you start doing that?

CJ Hendry obviously. I'm also obsessed with those guys at New York Sunshine, they're always pushing boundaries. In terms of a business sense, I really admired what Andy Warhol did. Not only in an artistic sense, but in a business sense. He did something really different. In terms of commercialization, he got his art out there just to make income. It's totally worth it. What are your major sources of inspiration? I get inspiration without even knowing it. I really enjoy looking at a lot of different textures whether it's paint chipping off a wall or something rusty. It comes from everyday life: things that I see, what people wear, what's on that sign, the food I eat, etc. Fashion is a major inspiration. I love streetwear because it's comfortable. It's so big these days. You can put anything with anything and that's what I love with it. Especially with footwear, they're doing a lot of things with different textiles.

I'm not trying to be a fine artist. I don't even know what the definition of fine art is anyway. Is it just a price range? I don't really know. If you're talking about quality, I'm using fine art techniques. This is some top quality sh*t. Am I playing into the fine art business model? Hell no. I don't really want to attract that fine art crowd anyway. If they buy it then that means they appreciate good quality stuff. I want to give people an education. For people who don't buy fine art, this is an education for them. I welcome their comments. How big is your team? There's six of us. Their roles are also very interchangeable. I mean, there's a few people who only just frame pieces. Franny is a fantastic framer and she knows how to do it. All of the team that works here they have unique backgrounds. Jonny over there is a chef. We all have to know the process, from planning out the board to shipping out the final products. We all need to understand how it all works.

Which artists are you inspired by currently?

What do you have to say to fine art critics who challenge this commercialization aspect of your process?

Terrence: We’re talking to other big brands for collabs. Kevin: Yeah lots of stuff in the works, and exhibition events especially. We’re really looking forward to our GORE-TEX partnership – like the event where we were worried about the experience more than the product itself was something really cool for us. So for future events we’re definitely going to throw more offline events that rely on the experience.

What kind of future projects or aspirations do you have for IISE?

“I'm not trying to be a fine artist. I don't even know what the definition of fine art is anyway.”

ANDY BLANK

You know, no one's ever done a collaboration on a power drill. I'd love to make a cool power drill. I'd really design the sh*t out of a power drill. You can be clever with anything these days. The obvious ones are furniture, art, and clothing. If I were to do it, it would have to be super specific and a right fit. I haven't seen any yet.

I'd say IKEA or Zara. Take something that's super bespoke and turn something that everyone can get. IKEA has pretty sh*tty quality stuff but the idea is there, right?

Would you ever collaborate with a person or brand?

If you can name a big commercial brand that you see Andy Blank becoming what brand would that be?

We're working on getting a holiday collection in. I'm jotting down a lot of the things that people are wearing, what art shows are displaying, and what colors are in at the moment. Currently, we're getting a bunch of framed works and paintings figured out. We're also working on getting rid of the old season. Everything is seasonal. The whole premise is that everything on Andy Blank is limited and up for a couple months or week and it's gone forever. No one can buy it again. Every brand needs that whole "it's hard to get" quality with some of their products. So, we usually limit products to 100 or it's up for a month only and never offered again.

What are you working on next?

Let's talk about developing your most recent style. Where was the source of inspiration for that and how long ago did you start doing that?

Whether it was hip-hop, breakdancing, or graffiti, the era you grew up in saw the birth of revolutionary outlets of creative expression. What was it like growing up in that time?

Hip-hop was born around the time that I was a teenager, so if you think about hip-hop coming in to be in the '70s, I'm just starting to have an understanding of who I am. A lot of people will tell you that graffiti predates hip-hop, and it does, but for me, I don't get hung up on those sorts of things, because I have always been an artist. To me, I predate hip-hop and I predate graffiti.

How were you funding materials to create your works?

Love that you asked that. Number one, things were less expensive back then and we stole everything. To be completely honest, we stole spray paint, we stole markers, all of it. We called it racking, and you'd have a big coat on and you just go into a department store and you'd steal all the paint that you needed and markers and everything. There was no money to buy anything. A little bit later, I started getting commissions to do storefront gates and car washes and little street sign jobs and things like that. That's how I earned money. Back then, that money was going towards food, it wasn't necessarily putting it back into my craft. That came much, much later.

Did your parents approve of you becoming an artist?

Yeah, I started designing album covers once they formed Def Jam. That was the thing that made me sort of transition out of being a fine artist. A lot of my friends went to Europe, Jean-Michel got picked up, Keith Haring got picked up by Tony Shafrazi and a lot of other people just stopped making works and got real jobs. Or got regular jobs, I should say. For me, I always had a graphic style and sensibility, so it seemed fitting that becoming a graphic designer was what I was going to do because I just always had clean lines in my blood and was always a fan of craftsmanship and sharp edges. If you look at my early graffiti paintings, all of that stuff was in the work back then.

Let’s talk about your creative director role at Def Jam. What was that experience like?

Oh my goodness, so many. Man. Certainly, Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet. Onyx, Montell Jordan, just EPMD, some of the stuff for Slick Rick. It was a really great time. I was fortunate enough to work with so many great artists that Def Jam and Bad Boy, but it all just seems like a blur. It was such a long time ago and we were working so hard and so fast, we never really had time to step back and smell the roses. We were just in this sort of continuous state of making work and working long, long hours. We were young and we were doing the things that we loved, so it strangely enough never felt like work.

What were some of your favorite projects that you worked on?

Did you have any other projects going on while you were working at Def Jam?

Let's talk about developing your most recent style. Where was the source of inspiration for that and how long ago did you start doing that?

Let’s talk about your creative director role at Def Jam. What was that experience like?

What were some of your favorite projects that you worked on?

We had our own design firm called Drawing Board Design and then Drawing Board Pictures came later which was the video division of our company. We were just working really hard. I started off by myself and then I had a partner and then we hired another person and then two people and then three people and then four people. Before you knew it, we had a full staff, because we were working with so many different companies.

Did you have any other projects going on while you were working at Def Jam?

“My practice is built off works where there's years worth of a waitlist and they'll sell out in seconds.”

Cj Hendry