BA of the Week: Artist Aimée Margolis
Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit — probably not.
Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.
When I asked Aimée what she would like mentioned about her in the intro, she said this:
I am a multi-disciplined artist that does everything from life-size sculpture to video installations. I try to have my work be relevant with a twist. I believe art should be for everyone not just for the 1%. Art shouldn’t be this over-egoed, incomprehensible mess misunderstood by the masses?!
She’s got some pretty clever answers below. Enjoy!
Name: Aimée Margolis
Age: The Age of Reason, is my favorite time period. Reason over fundamentalism.
Occupation: Multi-disciplinary artist – everything from life-size sculpture to video installations.
What neighborhood do you live in?: Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. The real New York City.
Best money saving tip: Use a bike, bring a bottle of water and take along some fruit with you and you’ll never need to waste money, when you’re out and about – on food, beverages, mass transit, (or on a gym) again. It is a good way to meet people too.
What do you refuse to spend money on?: On Snacks and alcohol. Those packages of snacks are a waste, more packaging than nutrition. I just eat real food instead of snacks and I don’t drink alcohol, that’s a brain and money saver right there.
Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: Possibly my Apple computer, it just kills me to think I have to change it every 3 to 4 years. You can never keep up with technology.
How’d that feel?: Great but frustrating. Never ending technology, but I guess it’s a good thing.
Favorite cheap eat: Use to be Nikos’s a Greek place on the Upper West Side, gone. Now it’s Beard Papa, for the amazing cream puffs and green tea. In Hell’s Kitchen it’s the Hourglass Tavern, amazing food for cheap.
Favorite dive bar: Argo – Tea Bar. It’s a myth that all artists drink themselves under the table. Some like to stay on top of it. Nor do artists cut off their ears anymore, that’s very old school. You need to have your wits about you to survive the art scene and keep being creative.
Best deal you’ve ever gotten: When I went to Japan to exhibit, the airfare, five days before I had to leave was 50% off. It was amazingly cheap. I still don’t understand how that happened?!
Favorite free thing to do: I like going to the Met Museum or to the High Line for free and just sketch all day. People come up in back of me and want to purchase them, so it’s a win, win situation. Seeing live art occur, when the public usually sees it finished, is refreshing for most spectators. I find the communication with the public interesting.
If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: I’d probably give some away first, for example to the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan, so the kids can have their very own building to learn in. Then I’d buy myself an art studio so I could do huge large-scale figurative sculpture. At the moment, I can’t do that.
Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: I love my life always. Gratitude, yep, gratitude for the little things, and when the big things come around you’ll appreciate them all the more. Like beauty, being rich is in the eye of the beholder.
Do you own my book?: I saw it on IFC.
Best hangover cure: Nope, as I mentioned earlier, new artists don’t drink, at least this one doesn’t. That’s an Urban Myth.
Are you a hipster?: My hips aren’t big enough to be a hipster : )
