Richie Havens' digital artwork is already on display at the Narrows, and he'll be playing our beloved stage on Friday December 7.Will you be there?
Last I checked, tickets were still available. More info at http://www.ncfta.org/.
In celebration of the return of the wonderful Mr. Havens, we interviewed him about his art, his music, his life.
How does one produce digital art, and how did you become interested in it?
Digital art has been legitimized by the international art world and gives rise to thousands of stylistic approaches to modern artists... The computer as the palate allows many young artists to express themselves in conventional and unconventional ways...The Wacom pen tablet allows one to use a digital stylus to draw with a pencil or a paintbrush/palate knife, etc., directly onto digital surfaces to be printed on canvas, art papers or fabrics. I was fascinated by the different mediums available to me that allowed me to experiment.
As an artist, how does it differ from your painting and sculpting?
I am able to use different programs to prepare and create models so much faster for sculptures I have always wanted to do. As far as painting goes I am able to work with interactive color.
Let's talk music...who are the backing musicians you'll be bringing with you this visit, and how do you feel they add to your sound?
I am traveling with a cellist and a guitarist... 3 of us ... who are in themselves incredible musicians...who are what I call "feelers"... I only know the first two songs I am going to sing and they are able to use their senses to figure out what's coming...Between us we create an organic atmosphere song by song.
You do a cover of the Gary Wright song "Love is Alive," which was a follow up to his hit "Dream Weaver." Why did you choose this song?
I didn't choose. "Love is Alive" was a song I have wanted to do since it came out... It chose me... Any song that stopped me in my tracks was a song I responded to by learning it and sharing it immediately with the audiences I sing to... Those songs educated me on many levels...
You seem to be a very positive individual. Were you always this way, or is it something you developed over the years?
I was always that way, because I was under the impression that we all are a part of the "Great Becoming".. which meant, we are living in the ongoing history of the world we live in...Nothing is finished; we are in the throes of creating this world... Everything man has ever witnessed was a "FIRST"... and we are creating more firsts every day.
What are your future musical and artistic plans?
I feel that I too am in the world of "FIRSTS," so the songs I sing will always reflect the "The Ongoing" and allow me to chronicalize our human story... forever :)
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