LEOPOLDO GOUT Painter and more
J
ust a few floors down, you’ll find Leopoldo Gout. Originally from Mexico, Leo came to New York City via London in the ’90s, and calls himself “a classic product of immigration.” On the 64th floor of 4 World Trade Center, Leopoldo has set up his studio with music and big canvases, and paints murals on walls and floors. Nothing is off limits in Leo’s creative process. It never has been. “New York has been kind of like a sponge,” he explains. “The more I am part of, the more I find different waters and different creative outlets.” Over the course of his career, Leo has had his hand in many creative projects — music videos, movies, writing, painting, video games design… the list is long. Much like the area, Leo’s artwork is always growing and evolving. He’s just published his second book, Genius, and has recently wrapped up production on the movie Molly’s Game, starring Jessica Chastain,
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Idris Elba and Kevin Costner, which premieres in November. So when Silverstein approached him to offer him the space, it couldn’t have come at a better time, as he was looking to combine all of his projects in one place. He just wishes there were more programs like this to keep artists Downtown. “The city needs the space to think — parks, spaces like the museums, galleries, and art studios — these are things I think the city should fight to keep, just for the cultural exchange,” he says. “I don’t think that there is a society that can thrive without cultural exchange,” says Leo. “And to me, it’s fundamental; it’s as important as, say, transportation, because art reflects the power of the human spirit and influences it.” “I think art is the vital spine of the soul of the city.”