Five Minutes with Andrew Brischler

The Armory Show’s FOCUS: USA presents a snapshot of the American artistic landscape, including galleries, artworks—even several of the artists themselves. In Gavlak Gallery’s booth and standing in close proximity to his paintings, artist Andrew Brischler was available for a quick five-minute chat to discuss the role of the American artist.

“I personally feel like there’s something really exciting in American painting and New York painting and LA painting right now—that making something really beautiful and seductive on the wall is not frowned upon anymore,” he said, standing beside his painting created using a dropcloth-turned-canvas. Brischler’s work, as he describes, “deals with the making and remaking of a painting,” which explains the visible seams and remnants of staples, all marks that enhance the work. “Seducing someone with color or with texture is kind of celebrated again. I think we went through a really long stretch of time where something really wrong had to be going on with the beauty of it, to make it valid, and for me, I just want to make something that looks really f***ing great on a wall when you see it, and when you get up close to it, you realize that there are all of these little things going on other than just the beautiful marks.”

Brischler’s favorite Armory booths so far? Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Sean Kelly Gallery, and Sverre Bjertnes & Bjarne Melgaard at Rod Bianco Gallery.