Lori Zimmerās involvement in the art world could be summed up with a variety of different idioms--she wears many hats, has her finger in every pie and so on and so forth. But the best way to describe Zimmerās career is that she is a person fully immersed in an industry she loves. Zimmer says she is able to stay creative and inspired as both a writer and a curator. Her recent collaborative art project, Rebaroque, was displayed at the 2011 Scope Art Festival. Each elaborate picture frame consisted of speakers thrusting from the beat of different DJs' tunes--like a a fun and hip 21st Century Kandinsky-esque combo of art and music. Along with curating, consulting and writing for her blog, Art Nerd New York, Zimmer has an arts column at Patrick McMullan Magazine and writes for the green design website, Inhabit.com. And although wearing all these hats (or having such a sticky pie-finger) may not pay in the traditional sense, in our e-mail exchange, Zimmer discussed her jobsā many other benefits. With the hopes of receiving a grant to make an App to accompany her blog, Zimmer has a clear plan for combining what she calls the āschizophrenic collection of different thingsā that is her career.
Carolyn Faden: How are you able to be involved in so many different aspects the art world?
Lori Zimmer: Sometimes I ask myself the same question. Iāve determined it must be my own insanity--Iām not satisfied with just being a writer, or consultant, or curator--it doesnāt satisfy me creatively. I think this is the reason so many of us flock to New York, because it is a place where being involved in many aspects of your passion is not only possible, but the norm. I like to mix it up. I write daily for a green design website, Inhabitat.com, which constantly educates me and gives me a different perspective so I donāt get burned out with art. The same goes for writing for Patrick McMullan Magazine--I have my own art column, but also interview actors, musicians and other interesting people for other aspects of the magazine. Doing different things keeps me inspired.
CF: What advice do you have for people who are aspiring curators or art consultants?
LZ: Firstly, donāt do it for the money, because often there IS no money. Being a good curator is like being an artist, you have to have vision and creative ideas, with the idea of a cohesive show that forces people to look at art in a different way. So many people just throw pieces together and call them āgroup shows.ā I find that really pointless, pairing pieces of art together can be as powerful as the pieces themselves.
CF: How do you think the Internet plays a role in the work of independent curators? Does it?
LZ: I mean, in general the Internet has made everything more accessible. Curators can now go through hundreds of portfolios online instead of sifting through packages among packages. I get happy thinking of all the paper/trees that saves! I do think it makes our jobs a lot easier, and therefore helps us communicate our visions in a better way.
CF: Is it difficult to be involved with the arts in this economic climate?
LZ: Iām not in this for money--I think anyone would be completely foolish to do so. Its unbelievable how little jobs in the art world pay.
CF: What led you to your career choice?
LZ: I was working for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. I loved my job, but found that I could get most of what I needed to do for the day finished by noon. I was bored. So I decided to go to grad school for art history/ business. Initially I wanted to work for Sothebyās, but after my graduate internship there, I decided it wasnāt the direction I wanted to go in. I always loved art history class in college, finding it a way for me to related to different periods in history. I realized that I talked about art constantly, and so it was just a natural choice that I finally figured out when I was about 25.
CF: I really enjoyed the Rebaroque project at the Scope Festival in April. One of my favorite parts about it was how collaborative the project seemed. Do you think art is moving towards trends of collaboration and partnership?
LZ: Working with Rebaroque was a great way for me to combine my interests in music and art. I got to work with a lot of great people. I hope that collaborations continue. Personally, Iām really really into experiential art and exhibitions now--something that makes people interact on some level. I work alone as a writer, so I love collaborating on projects--other peoples ideas only strengthen my own. I think things are more interested when they cross the worlds of art/fashion/music. Its like one big party.
CF: In the past year have you seen any shows, exhibitions or pieces of artwork (old or new!) that you were particularly impressed with or moved by?
LZ: Stemming on interactive art, Sleep No More was hands down one of the most incredible things I think Iāve ever seen. Iāve gone twice and will probably go again before its over. The McQueen show at the Met was obviously the most incredible show of the year--I literally cried. What a genius--bridging fashion and art like many designers canāt. One of my favorite exhibitions of all time was Matthew Barneyās Cremaster Cycle at the Gugg in 2003. I still need to see my favorite painting of all time--Hieronymous Boschās Garden of Earthly Delights at the Prado. That piece
is like a crazy soap opera--so ahead of its time it still kind of blows my mind to think about.
CF: Are there any art magazines or blogs (other than your own) that you read on a daily basis?
LZ: I spend a lot of time on the computer for work, and donāt get to read as much online as Iād like, but I love Nymag, Worldās Best Ever, and artnet. Iāve developed Internet ADD, so I catch a lot of things via Twitter as well.
CF:If you could go back in time and live during a āgolden ageā of art (for example Italy during the Renaissance or New York during the advent of Abstract Expressionism) would you? What time period?
LZ: Surrealism or Art Nouveau--I would be Loie Fuller, the Art Nouveau dancer. Her Serpentine Dance is one of the most beautiful things Iāve ever seen--you have to look it up on Youtube. She dances with this flowy costume while lights change the color of it--she even invented the color changing lights, and held a patent for them.
CF: A weighty question but, where do you see yourself and your career in
five to ten years?
LZ: That is actually easy for me. Iām finally shaping my career to where I want it--a very schizophrenic collection of different things--writing, curating, advising, supporting artists and just random projects that keep me busy, excited and sharing my passion for art with others. Iāve applied for a grant to turn my Art Nerd New York Blog into an app, and would love to make one for other cities. I want to continue to do projects that engage people--especially the non-arty types that are intimidated by the sometimes snobby New York art world. At the end of the day, I just want to write, curate and
create things that people will talk about with their friends. Oh, and get paid for it.
