The noun “googol” was coined in 1938 by the 9-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner. American abstract painter Roy Newell died in 2006, the same year the verb “google” was added to the dictionary. The Google favicon (above) oddly and coincidentally resembles a Roy Newell painting. I am coining the adjective "ungoogleable" to mean "unknown".
Walking into the Carolina Nitsch gallery last weekend felt like walking into the last 5 minutes of an unknown movie: I felt both like I had missed the vast majority of what looked like a great movie AND somehow spoiled the ending before I saw the beginning. Google only raised more questions. So in an attempt to see the whole movie, I met sculptor and curator Richard Dupont in the gallery to discuss the show.
I have transcribed and published the entire interview – word for word. Click here to read the full text.
In the hours spent transcribing the recorded interview, I learned two things:
1. Interviewing is a difficult skill that will require a lot more practice. Richard was fantastic.
2. What I think I was really trying to do was find a reason to disprove these paintings. Paintings can lie (often with no mal-intent) but when I’m duped into “believing” a dishonest painting I’m both disheartened and embarrassed. There’s always one kid in school who is the last to defend Santa and I didn't want that to be me. Since “honest” is the first word I would use to describe a Roy Newell painting, I set out to test that assertion from every angle possible.
To paraphrase the whole interview (neither of these are direct quotes):
Q – Why?
A – Because perfection was more important than recognition… honestly.