Theseus: Vincent Desiderio on Art

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No editorializing takes place here. There is no fluff. Yet the two men leap from artist to artwork, from observations about narrative structure to biology to the manifestation of surfaces. It is humorous, deadly serious, and very encouraging to witness; the Apollonian and Dionysian impulses can coexist. This conversation demonstrates the joy of an intellectual and poetic exchange between two artists who share a knowledge of the deep concerns of art making in all its myriad forms.

• Excerpt from review by Matt Ballou, in NeotericArt

Legendary American painter Vincent Desiderio is known for large, complex paintings which embrace both classical representation and the intellectual history of modernism and postmodernism. Among artists, he is also well-known for his fierce engagement with the ideas and methods that animate the history of visual art.

On the occasion of his 2018 solo show Theseus at Marlborough Gallery in New York, Desiderio sat down at his studio in Sleepy Hollow with artist and author Daniel Maidman to talk art. Over the course of a long sunny afternoon, Desiderio shared his insights on painting as a physical act, as a philosophical pursuit, and as a spiritual journey. This book presents that conversation, alongside the paintings made for the show.