INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE ANDERSON JANUARY 4th, 2011
Laurie: In her Canal Street Studio, New York
Deirdre & Angel: In PhotoIreland’s office, 64 Lower Mount Street, D2
4pm Dublin Time.

Here are a few excerpts:

Deirdre Mulrooney: – we love your CD Homeland.  It’s fantastic.

Laurie Anderson: Oh thank-you. Thanks.

D: It is so timely – talk about the zeitgeist of Ireland right now.  Especially Only an Expert.

L: Yeah.  Yeah.

D: It’s really incredible, and a little bit scary.  So I’m wondering have you been following what’s been going on over here in Ireland as regards to our?

L: Not the last few weeks.  Are there some new developments?

D: No, the IMF coming in was really the highlight.

L: Right.

D: But of course the..

L: So what’s the mood? What’s the mood there because of that?  How are people feeling about it?

D: Oh very angry and very disillusioned. It’s pretty desperate. I suppose people are going on but. I’m wondering, in terms of an artist’s role, what do you think an artist’s role is in this sort of situation – or ever?

D: I mean, we think that it could be good for Ireland if people go back to how things were before the Celtic Tiger.  We might have more time for each other, and for culture.

L: That’s right.  That’s right, that’s a wonderful positive thing about this, when things break down.  It can be – either you can choose to see it as a disaster, or you can choose to see it as an opportunity. And I think the time I’ve spent in Ireland encourages to me to realise that opportunism is a very popular way of looking at the world.

D: That’s a lovely way of putting it!

L: How can I make this into something, you know, that is moving somewhere rather than just sitting here and goiing euggghhhh I don’t have that kind of car any more, I don’t have –

This interview was made possible partly by a Travel and Training Award from the Arts Council of Ireland.

VULGO will publish PART III: 2011 PROJECTS, LOLOBELLE, & INTER-SPECIES COMMUNICATION, and a special message to Loughlin Deegan, next Friday 28th of January.