wptv interview

the interview was held by margarethe bannert und was later edited and cut to a 5 minutes story by brigitte sack. the program was some kind of "homestory" as the introduction and the interview. the interview was held in german language.

wptv: neil curtis, we're sitting here in the café berg infront of the pictures of your exhibition. tell us more about the exhibition.
neil curtis: I did the exhibition because of the 10th day of keith harings death, for me, keith haring was an important role model, and that's why I thought to honor this day, with those pictures, pictures of a bodypainting session, which I did together with a friend – actually they are two sessions, the second part is only shown in the internet, but together they are both a unit.

wptv: is bodypainting a new media for you, did you get into it because of the exhibition or is it something already good known for you? it looks quite interesting.
bodypainting is something I have done already many times, since a few years now, and this is also not the first project with bodypainting. one of the first projects with bodypainting were CANVAS, a project which has also been shown at the austrian tv's art-program "kunststücke", about 1,5 years ago. but at that time I used a different method, I this time I only painted in black-white, and I later edited the whole thing on my computer as well.

wptv: so you also did the painting itself as well?
yes, of course! but I am not the person on the picture.

wptv: how long does it take to paint someone from "head to toe"?
this session took about 4 hours, it varies, you can also paint a whole body in half an hour, other bodypainters sometimes make sessions that take more than 16 hours.

wptv: and what does he person after she is painted? walking around, then removes the paint?
the painted person is usually photographed in a photosession and then the paint gets removed.

wptv: and have you also been painted already?
no, I have never been painted yet, but who knows, you never know... might happen one day!

wptv: we are now here, because you are also from the "wohnpark alterlaa", where you also live. how do you live as an artist in the wohnpark?
for me, the wohnpark is some kind of "place in which I can go into myself", a place in which I have everything I like and need, the place I do not have to leave if I want, and that's great. I can lock myself at home and be creative. a second aspect: I like the 70ies flair of the wohnpark, this is quite inspiring for me. for example: when I sit on my balcony and watch the view, I am often very happy. I also enjoy collaborating with WPTV, for which I have invented the "nighTV" project (which is played every day between 0-6 o clock)

wptv: frequent WPTV viewers can now see the face of nighTV – talking about nighTV: how do you select the topics of your nighTVs?
I want the nighTV to be surprising and always different. I try to "switch" between different styles, some nighTVs are completely computer generated, others are with bodypainting, others are analog photographs, others digitally made.

wptv: ...my favourite nighTV was the one with the plastic-bags...
..."we are all shopping bags... bags for sex...", oh yes...

wptv: and what will your next project be?
at the moment the tribal tribute nighTV is currently running on TV, and I am talking about the full version, all 162 pictures of the project, in the exhibition I only showed 20 small and 2 large pictures. what I am going to do next is not easy to explain. let me surprise you...

wptv: ok, surprise us! thanks for the interview, we wish you much success with whatever you migh surprise us next!