DAN'S PAPERS, November 28, 2008 Page 28 www.danshamptons.com
Honoring the Artist: Doug Zider If cover artist Doug Zider gives the impression that he’s always on the go, that impression is right. Consider, for example, a recent experience on the LIRR. Not only does Zider commute every day to New York where he’s a graphic artist for NBC, he’s also constantly reviewing his portfolio when he’s en route. Last week, the train was delayed as a result of an accident, yet Zider kept on looking at his portfolio. A fellow passenger couldn’t help but notice the images and became a potential buyer for the artist’s works. Even so, Zider isn’t just interested in marketing his work (unusual as it may turn out to be); he’s also passionately committed to his family, art, and the current state of affairs. Q: How do you think the financial situation is effecting people you know?
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A: Let’s just say that it’s a good thing Dan’s Papers is free. If not, no one could afford to buy it. Q: I can’t help but laugh at that, but how are you effected? A: There’s a CNBC monitor behind me at work and I’m always watching it. I’m aware of what’s happening. For example, it makes me particularly mad that people haven’t taken the initiative about the energy situation. It’s just greed. But I’m still smiling despite the crisis. Q: How have you altered your own art as a result of the economic situation? A: I’m making smaller works. When people start buying art again, it will be smaller pieces. I’m patient. I also have to cater to the print market, but keep my originals. I feel sorry for galleries that have to diversify and offer various works. It’s not what they’re used to or what they specialize in. Q: Often when you get home from commuting, you get to work on a painting. As we are talking on the phone, is that what you’re doing now? A: You guessed right. I’m in my studio looking at my linen canvas. It’s like Christmas. I stretch all my own material; it won’t be like other ones. Q: Let’s go from the canvas to your images. How would you describe them, including the cover, “Autumn Mist?” A: Many of my works are a mixture of Impressionism and Realism, like the cover. “Autumn Mist” is from my imagination. It can be anything on the North Shore. It’s very simple,
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but I do very “heavy” pieces, too, in terms of composition. Q: What has working in TV all these years taught you about your own art? A: TV taught me to say, “Goodbye, you’ve done enough. Let it go.” Artists are never satisfied with what they’ve done so it’s hard to let go. Q: Do you tend to look at the graphics when you watch TV? What annoys you about it if anything? A: When I’m looking at football games, maybe two in a row, I don’t want to see things flying around; it’s too busy. Q: Besides not trying to aim for perfection, what else have you learned through the years, not necessarily from TV? A: Some of the best art out there was done by mistake. Q: What kind of mistakes have you made? A: I’ve used the wrong color, the style has been too loose, there was too much turpentine. Q: So if people are going to make mistakes (for better or worse), it’s no use to try for perfection, eh? Give us one more thought about the importance of art. A: When you get to the Pearly Gates and God puts a brush in your hand, you’d better do something with it or else leave. — Marion Wolberg Weiss Mr. Zider’s work is available at Allison Cory Gallery in Great Neck, New York, and at Greenport’s Bay Bliss Gallery (Main Street). His website is dougzider.com
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seems to jog loose old memories and suddenly I can hear old fights being re-fought. Isn’t it amazing that time does not erode grudges? Time erodes love, rusts cars, levels mountains — but wreck a relative’s car, and 20 years later, they still bring it up. In those moments, I wonder, WHY do we think being together is a good idea ever? When you spend time with one relative, you can trash the rest of the family, but when everyone is together, you can’t say anything bad about anyone... and you even start to wonder if they talk about you when you’re not around, nah, that would never happen.... Finally we eat and everyone is well behaved for the five minutes it takes to consume the meal you spent hours to make.
After that, somebody at the table says to someone else, “You know what you should do...” It never goes over well, whatever it is, and then everyone starts giving their opinions on how everyone else should live their lives and before you know it, you’re running to get the desserts on the table to bring the momentum of the advice monsters lobbing verbal assaults back and forth. Finally, it’s over. Everyone says what a nice time they had and you collapse in your chair swearing you will never host another Thanksgiving dinner again. And that vow always lasts for me until the next October, when the cooking shows give me new hope on how easy it really is to put on a turkey dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!
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