This week New York Magazine chose Eric Harvey Brown as their look book subject. We decided to ask him a few questions ourselves, and dig a little deeper - beyond the beard (just a little though).
How did NY Mag approach you for the Look Book piece?
They found me walking past Times Square.
Why do you think they picked you?
I have crazy facial hair.
Where did they shoot the photo?
They shot the photo around the corner from the main subway entrance at Times Square...on a side street outside. They had set up roll paper and two soft boxes. There were a few photo assistants and a photographer.
They focus on your facial hair in the first question, would you ever consider growing a neck beard? (Interesting neck beard story here - the comment beginning with "My friend Andrew...").
In general, i believe neck hair to be grosser and more uncomfortable than other facial hair. The article you sited partially referenced that. As far as facial hair and attractiblilty goes...here's my take ... i don't think people are specifically into in a facial hair cut like mine, but they might think, 'wow, that's...weird...maybe they're interesting or witty or something.'
What is the Accumulation Project all about?
The Accumulation Project is an idea a few of my friends and myself came up with. Basicallly, we thought it would be interesting and challenging to curate a year-long group art show where individuals would gather one kind of thing for year and do something interesting with it. We have a website, and every month each accumulator (artist) would send photo/text/audio/video documentation updates on their accumulates and how their accumulation was changing/growing. We had a 'teaser' show last year and are looking for a space to host our second show reflecting the changed/similarites to the first show, and to see how each project has changed.
The website is here: www.accumulationproject.org
Anything you'd like to say about your style, or anything else for that matter, that you didn't get to say in the NY Mag piece?
As far as style, the only thing I'd like to say is that witty and eccentric should be cool. As far as other stuff goes... a few weeks ago, NY Mag featured a story about Jersey City. In my interview with them, i mentioned that most of the interviewees were young and white. Jersey City is incredibly culturally diverse. Did they talk to them? And my term 'Williamsburgising' [sp?] may have been slightly inaccurate, or at least misunderstood in my mind. I meant to say that Jersey City is experiencing rapid and uncreative urban development (gentrification? Williamsburgization?) in the form of newly constructed condos, luxury condos, and condos. I don't see much of anything that is being built that is affordable to the average current Jersey City resident. It seems all aimed at higher-incomed people who as of yet don't live there. Is this the future of urban planning? Is this sustainable?
A few years ago, 111 1st Street still stood. It was a huge warehouse kind of building with hundreds of working artists in it. There seemed semi-utopic popssibilities for the future of Jersey City with 111 and a strong art/cultural scene at it's heart--an artist-rich downtown area with functional and educational studios, galleries, shops, theatres....who knows. The owner of the building, Lloyd Goldman eveicted the artists and is in the process of building...you guessed it....luxury condos.
I also wanted NY Mag to mention this book I helped put together that is a moving collection of photos of the hand-made signs that appeared in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is a fund raiser for some Gulf Coast area volunteer organizations...It's called Signs of Life: Surviving Katrina.
Photo via NYMag.com
