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 GEORGE PETROS – UNDERGROUND ART Q&A creativeclasstrumpsrulingclass.com George & I have a long pal-ship, I used to love Seconds Magazine, a mag he made happen. I’d mail-order it and pick it up at Quimby’s zine shop every time one came out, I love the long interview format, sometimes, what seemed to be 15 plus pages of Q & A from the artists they’d cover… I read it for years, and right before they went belly up, I had asked to submit a piece on serial killing grandma Dorothea Puente, they bit and told me to go for it… I was beyond stoked and they went out of business… hehehee… Regardless, it was an underground publication and not George’s first, he also produced Exit Magazine a classic underground, angry politics, passionate politics, obscure art, breaking publishing rules, setting trends, outspoken, brave, limitless… one of the best examples of underground publishing of my generation. George is a well rounded, deep artist, music, writing, art, photos, video. I’d consider George an inspiration of and from my youth. What is underground art? Underground art was a late twentieth century amalgam of art forms influenced by the drug culture. Are there rules or a set of ethics to the underground? No. It’s the result of larceny as well as labor. What is selling out? Selling out is a phantom issue. It’s an artificial construct with which the also-rans chastise those who can reach a broad audience. Can underground go above ground and still be underground? No. The mainstream art world discourages drug related material, which is the core of underground’s inspiration. Have you ever sold out? Of course. I can go both ways. Is it possible to steal an idea? Yes and yes, and common place. Your biggest artistic regret? Alienating myself from almost everybody with whom I ever had any dealings. Your biggest artistic inspiration? Robert Williams and Frank Zappa. What is dangerous art? At this moment in history, dangerous art promotes racialist perspectives, especially White nationalism and pro-Jihadi stuff. Bonus question… nature or nurture? Both. |
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