David Horvitz lives and works in New York City. He is currently pursuing his MFA from Bard College.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do. My name is David. I was born in Los Angeles in 1980. I live in New York. I travel, and make a lot of projects.
If you had to explain your work to a stranger, what would you say? I usually evade answering as long as I can. When I am cornered, I say I am a photographer. When I am pushed more, I say I take “street photography.”
What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on? I’m doing a Twitter project with Creative Time. Going to tweet on a train from San Francisco to Washington, DC. It relates Twitter and other communication technologies of today, to the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century. The first transcontinental telegram was sent in 1861 from SF to President Lincoln in DC. I’m also doing a project with Fillip Magazine in Vancouver, and something at the photo festival in Arles, France. Oh, want to meet in Chicago in June? I’ll be at the train station for about 4 hours as I wait for the next train. Can you bring me a Chicago Pizza and hot dog with celery salt?
When and where did your interest in art begin? A photo class taught by Uta Barth at UC Riverside when I was 19.
What kinds of things are influencing your work right now? Friends. Always friends.
What do you want a viewer to walk away with after seeing your work? I would be completely thrilled if the viewer walked away with the piece itself, whether it was for the taking or not.
What is one the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing? I see a problem with artist’s isolating themselves, with their work coming out of a more solipsistic engagement. Artists need to talk to each other and be open… It’s like a relationship! Communicate!
What was the last exhibition you saw that stuck out to you? Pauline Bastard at Galerie Eva Hober in Paris.
What artists are you interested in right now? Paul Branca. Mylinh Nguyen.
How long have you lived in New York City and what brought you there? Three and a half years. Love.
What’s your favorite thing about New York? Roosevelt Island. Train to Coney Island. Arthur Ave. Botanical Garden near Prospect Park. The MET.
What are you doing when you’re not working on art? Eating.
What are your plans for the next year? Starting to paint.
If you hadn’t become an artist, what do you think you’d be doing? Writing.
What’s your absolute favorite place in the world to be? Palos Verdes, California on a foggy day.
If you had one wish what would it be? Hot air balloon over the Atlantic Ocean. Not too high. Maybe about 40 feet above the water.
Favorite music? Former Ghosts.
What are you really excited about right now? My dinner at 9pm with Christian and Torsten at Dumont Restaurant in Williamsburg.