Abner Preis Lives Art he doesn’t just Make Art. From the first minute you meet Abner you realize that life is his stage and you might unintentionally become a cast member even though you have no clue where the script is headed. One minute you might love him the next… well you know. But we do love him and we’ve touched base with him after his recent opening of The Dogs of Shame alongside Wayne Horse. Here are his answers.
How many days a week do you eat breakfast?
Ever since I got a new girlfriend, we have breakfast every morning. But before her – if you consider breakfast to be at 15:30, then also every morning.
What’s your first memory of making art?
I have a pretty clear memory of drawing on the wall when I was about 5. But making art….? hummmmm. I have no idea. I can’t think of a time when I was not making art. Living art is something I’m trying to capture in my work – and my life – and a lot of my friends have the same problem. It’s boring sometimes to always think about the same shit all the fucking time – so, ummmm, I have no idea. What was the question?
Name three things to do before you die.
Have joy, have experience with sadness, and give.
Any near death experiences?
Yes, many. I’m from the USA where we get a car and a driver’s license at the age of 16 – meaning in the car I have had at least five near death experiences. Also, I used to do shit outdoors, so thats about two more, and I also scuba dive and had a pretty close to death experience there.
But a big near death experience was when I was about six years old. I lived in a tall building in Israel, the apartment had a terrace where my mom would hang the laundry. To keep everyone’s laundry from being dripped on the terrace had a roof over it, and of course above it (even the top floor). I was playing with something on the terrace and the cloth pins fell over onto the roof below.
I looked over and saw the clips on the roof. I climbed onto the edge of the ledge, looking down at the roof, and thinking, for a very long time if I should make the leap down onto the roof to get the clips back. I really sat there for a very long time, and this is a very important part of my life (I’m not sure why yet). I now know that for sure I would have died had I jumped on the roof. It was some green plastic sheet held up by some crappy brackets – but I didn’t know that then – my instinct just said not to do it….
One piece of advice grown-up you would have told teenage you.
Nothing. I’m still a teenager, more so today than then. Now I don’t have a football coach looking over me so I’m even worse, except that now I have my own money to be bad with I’m not stealing from my moms purse-
Describe one dream project that you would realize given the full backing you would need?
I would have 500 slaves.
Where have you traveled to in the past 12 months?
Colombia, USA, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Canary Islands, Israel.
When you’re back home what is one place you go that inspires you?
HOME?
What is one of your biggest vices?
Weed! I smoke every day. I usually wake up at 8:30, coffee, bread, and ham and cheese, cucumber, tomato, and a joint. There is no day when I don’t smoke in the morning. I get a lot done, but I sometimes wonder.
Have you been to art school?
Yes, in fact, I’m a fucking geniouse.
What does the phrase “no new enemies” mean to you?
I think its something which is still evolving to really think about it. I’m not really into Phrases (unless I come up with them) so I’m probably jealous of it.
