David Humphrey’s Radio Show 2004- 2008

In this episode, painter David Humphrey sits down with author Davy Lauterbach, artist Nicole Eisenman, and Trenton Doyle Hancock to reflect on the making of a book dedicated to his work — a conversation produced during the pandemic and guided by producer Todd Bradway. What unfolds is a lively, intimate conversation about art as community, the liberating strangeness of being written into a book, and the ways artists make worlds together. From Humphrey’s mash-ups of figuration and abstraction to Eisenman’s studio memories and Hancock’s reflections on distrust and momentum, the discussion offers a vivid glimpse into how these artists challenge and inspire one another.

In this episode, host David Humphrey joins artist and filmmaker Denisse Griselda Reyes in the P&T Knitwear sound studio for a vulnerable and playful conversation about queer failure, alter egos, and the messy artistry of self-invention. Reyes discusses their multi-year film project documenting and reimagining 30 dates in New York City, shaped by the chaos of the pandemic and an evolving relationship to performance and persona. Speaking candidly about the liberatory potential of "cooked" intimacy, Reyes and Humphrey reflect on how identity and heartbreak become raw materials for transformation alongside the haunting bolero “Qué sabes tú” by Olga Guillot. Denisse Griselda Reyes is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker utilizing autobiographical narratives as source material to create contemporary fictions through re-creations in paintings, films, sculptures, and performances. Image: Easter, 2024. Courtesy of the artist.

In this episode, artist and host David Humphrey sits down with celebrated painter Carrie Moyer on the occasion of her 2022 exhibition Morphologies at D.C. Moore Gallery. Their conversation opens with a probing exploration of the word "queer"—its political weight, cultural evolution, and contested use in contemporary discourse. Moyer reflects on her long personal and activist relationship with the term, expressing skepticism about its recent broad application, while Humphrey draws a connection between queerness and abstraction in her painting practice. Together, they unpack how language, identity, and form can be both tools of resistance and sites of transformation, especially post-pandemic. Carrie Moyer 's sumptuous paintings on canvas reference Color Field, Pop Art and 1970s Feminist art - while proposing a new approach to fusing history, research and experimentation in painting.  Image: Reverie (There's a Hole in My Bucket Dear Liza), 2021. Moyer is represented by Alexander Gray Associates. Theme song: Tart Cherry by David Humphrey Produced by Denisse Griselda Reyes

Artist Tala Madani joins David Humphrey in a candid conversation about the raw, messy, and often humorous forces that shape her painting practice. They explore how vulnerability, material intelligence, and comic timing inform their grotesque yet deeply human imagery—turning shit, shadows, and sperm into sites of revelation. Together, they reflect on the politics of mess, the power of not knowing, and the urgent need to hold space for disorder in both art and society. Watch the extended Interview on Vimeo. Image: Spectre II, 2016. Courtesy of Perez Art Museum.

Join David Humphrey in this episode as he welcomes New York artist Jeff Gauntt, also known as DJ Wolf, ahead of their upcoming two-person show at Sikkema, Jenkins & Co. in 2005. Jeff shares insights into his unique artistic process, where his sculptures, often mistaken for paintings, reflect the music he listens to, treating each exhibition like an album with individual pieces as songs. The conversation explores themes of suburban life, emotional depth, and the influence of synth pop and industrial music on his work. Listeners are treated to a curated playlist featuring tracks from Wolfgang Press, Noi Button, Coil, and more,  Jeff Gauntt makes paintings, objects, and prints in his studio, designs and builds costumes and props for performing (cosplay) at genre conventions, and makes signs and prints for covert interactive fan performances at live events. Image: From the Southern Region, 2005. Courtesy of Jeff Gauntt.

In this episode, David Humphrey discusses the intersection of music and visual art with New York painter Stephen Ellis. Ellis, whose artwork often explores themes of repetition and variation, shares how his creative process was inspired by a profound musical epiphany involving Wagner's "Parsifal". This led him to see parallels between music and painting, particularly in how time and rhythm influence perception. The conversation unveils Ellis's curated playlist, which features music that manipulates time in intriguing ways—from Robert Johnson's raw, bluesy freedom to Vivaldi's pyrotechnic Sinfonia. The episode also highlights a hauntingly beautiful piece by Marianne Marais, exemplifying the slow, hypnotic qualities that resonate with Ellis's own artistic approach. Stephen Ellis is painter, an art critic, editor, and educator.  His paintings demonstrate an almost virtuosic attunement to color, while his grids and frames reference both Minimalism and a love of the film screen. Image: Untitled (2002), 2002. Courtesy of ⁠Cornell Alumni Archive.⁠

⁠In this episode host David Humphrey sits down with New York painter Marc Handelman, whose work explores the intersection of ethics and aesthetics. Handelman discusses how his art navigates the murky terrain between beauty and moral complexity, while also revealing the multiple selves that influence his creative process. The episode features a diverse and eclectic mix of music, reflecting Handelman's artistic exploration: from the politically charged energy of Public Enemy's "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" to the haunting ambient sounds of Stars of the Lid. Listeners will also hear a range of influences including Mia’s satirical "Paper Planes" and Chopin’s contemplative Mazurka in A minor, each piece offering insight into Handelman’s dynamic and introspective approach to art. Marc Handelman⁠ is a visual artist and teacher. Through paintings, installations, artists' books and other media his work engages the afterlives of the genre of landscape.  Image: Crepuscular Dawn (detail), 2006. Courtesy of Marc Handelman.

In this episode, host David Humphrey is joined by New York painter and DJ Adam Hurwitz. Adam reveals how his painting practice, which blurs the lines between pornography and surgery, parallels his work as a DJ, where he remixes and reimagines sound. The episode features a mix of tracks, including Adam’s own dubby techno remix of a cosmetic surgery instructional video, as well as a unique Pet Sounds remix by Boolean that blends Beach Boys melodies with J Dilla’s beats. Adam Hurwitz⁠ is an artist living and working in New York City whose current focus on computer generated video comes out of his knowledge of and experience in painting and drawing.  Image: Scenes from Reflective Nostalgia, 2015 - ongoing. Courtesy of ⁠MacDowell⁠.

In this episode, David Humphrey interviews New York painter Richard Phillips. Richard presents a playlist that spans centuries, beginning with the evocative "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana, and transitioning through European apocalyptic folk music to contemporary sounds emerging from Los Angeles. The conversation explores Richard's ideological perspective on how music embodies both beauty and aggression, emphasizing how his paintings evoke both love and violence simultaneously. Richard shares tracks from influential bands like "Death in June" and "Sol Invictus," which juxtapose haunting melodies with politically charged themes. Richard Phillips (b. 1962) sources his subject matter from advertising, pornography, fashion spreads, and the news, to make hyperrealistic paintings that meditate on mainstream media’s obsession with sex, death, and power.  Image: Blauvelt, 2013. Courtesy of Artsy.

In this chapter, also called "An Effective Low Cost Solution for Combatting Mind Control," David Humphrey interviews painter Bruce Pearson about his work and  how his music collection has grown over the years. Bruce shares his thoughts on psychedelia and appropriately, the idea of combating mind control in his practice. They also touch on the idea of hidden elements in his paintings, how he uses found text in his paintings, and whether or not Bruce has any guilty pleasure music. In this episode you'll hear music by The Boredoms.  Bruce Pearson makes distinctive and hypnotic works that push the limits of painting. Constructed on Styrofoam panels, his paintings are fields of sensuous color and intricately creviced surfaces, with visceral impact and optical effects.  Image: Hope and Comfort From the Other Side (2000), Courtesy of Bruce Pearson.

In this episode, host David Humphrey welcomes New York artist James Hyde. Known for his unique blend of consciousness and materiality, Hyde discusses his latest musical inspirations centered around the theme of "lost in music." The conversation explores the self-referential nature of art and music, touching on how pop songs often reflect personal narratives. Hyde shares tracks like Erykah Badu's "Rimshot" and Nas's "One Mic," highlighting their introspective qualities and how these themes resonate in Hyde's abstract work, where space and time become intertwined. James Hyde is a contemporary artist who often employs unconventional materials when painting that range from plaster, nylon, chrome, and steel to styrofoam, glass, and more recently, photography. Image: GRABBING (Goya), 2004. Courtesy of James Hyde.

In this episode, host David Humphrey is joined by experimental artist Oliver Herring. They explore the transformative nature of his art, which turns everyday activities into ritualistic and participatory experiences. Herring reflects on his artistic evolution from solitary practices to dynamic, collaborative projects like TASK, which invites spontaneous collaboration. The episode features a diverse musical selection curated by Herring, including the invigorating "In a Cave", a hauntingly dramatic aria from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" performed by the renowned "Queen of the Night", and evocative tracks by Joan Osborne and the mysterious Divan Turbinate". ⁠Oliver Herring⁠ is a visual artist known internationally for his use of experimental techniques as a means to better understand human nature, individual behavior, and interpersonal dynamics. Image: Studio, working on Wade 2, 2006. Courtesy of ⁠Oliver Herring.⁠

In this episode David Humphrey interviews artist John Kessler, whose innovative works have captivated audiences since the 1980s. After his exhibition at The Drawing Center, Kessler shares how the Grateful Dead shaped his early musical experiences as he formed a jam band called Shrek Noi, inspired by the band's improvisational style. He discusses the significance of dub music in his 1983 exhibition, highlighting Linton Kwesi Johnson's work, and the ambient sounds of composers like Brian Eno and Philip Glass that informed his mechanical art pieces. Kessler also touches on the impact of world music and sampling, particularly through David Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, illustrating how these musical elements have intertwined with his creative process over the decades.  Jon Kessler (b. 1957, New York) builds chaotic kinetic installations to critique our image-obsessed, surveillance-dominated world.  Image: I’m Nothing Without You, 2012. Courtesy of Jon Kessler.

Join host David Humphrey for a conversation with multidisciplinary New York artist Rachel Mason. In this episode, Mason discusses her unique practice of inhabiting the psyches of political figures through songwriting. From imagining life as Saddam Hussein on his execution day to an unexpected correspondence with Manuel Noriega about their shared "infected canals," Mason's ability to forge profound connections across seemingly impassable divides is as disarming as it is insightful. Hear her perform tracks from her latest album, including the haunting "The Candidate" inspired by the 2008 presidential race, and gain insight into how nursing home visits shaped reflections on memory and presence in "The Oven Sky." Rachel Mason (b. 1978) is an American filmmaker whose work includes performance art, music, films and multimedia projects. Image: Holy Empire of The Jaw, 2009. Courtesy of Rachel Mason.

In this episode, host David Humphrey chats with the eclectic artist and performer Guy Richards Smit, also known as Maxi Geil. They discuss the origins of Smit's unique stage name, which blends Dutch and German influences, and explore the storytelling essence that permeates his work across video, music, and painting. They enjoy the 2007 premiere of his band's energetic new single "Making Love in the Sunshine" from their album "Strange Sensation," and listen to a curated selection of tracks that capture the spirit of youth and emotional depth. Guy Richards Smit (b. 1970) is an American performance artist, painter, and singer-songwriter in the band Maxi Geil! & PlayColt. Image: Burning Every Bridge, 2016. Courtesy of Charlie James Gallery.

In this episode, host David Humphrey welcomes artist Alexis Rockman to the studio. Rockman's larger-than-life paintings, including a monumental depiction of Antarctica, serve as the backdrop for a discussion on the intersection of art and reality. As they delve into Rockman's hyperbolic realism and fascination with depicting the indescribable, they navigate through themes of mutation, genetic deviance, and the surreal landscapes of science fiction. From the visionary score of "Blade Runner" to the haunting melodies of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me," each track echoes the depth of Rockman's artistic vision. ⁠Alexis Rockman⁠ (b. 1962) is an American contemporary artist known for his paintings that provide depictions of future landscapes as they might exist with impacts of climate change and evolution influenced by genetic engineering. Image: The Farm, 2000. Courtesy of ⁠Alexis Rockman.

In this episode, host David Humphrey talks to New York painter and writer Alexi Worth. Departing from the usual format of bringing music, Alexi introduces a unique twist by sharing poems spoken by their original authors, some recorded on old cassettes dating back over 25 years. As the conversation unfolds, David and Alexi discuss the intricate narratives of Alexi's paintings, drawing parallels between the compressed storytelling in his art and the essence of poetry. They explore themes of intimacy, resistance, and the complexity of artistic expression. From William Carlos Williams to Robert Lowell, James Dickey to John Berryman, and Richard Wilbur, each poem offers a glimpse into the profound and diverse landscape of human experience. Alexi Worth (b. 1964) is a painter, curator, art critic, and writer who is known for his conceptually rich and visually graphic works that address modern life and artmaking. Image: Green Bedroom, 2015. Courtesy of DC Moore Gallery.

In this episode, host David Humphrey welcomes artist Alexis Rockman to the studio. Rockman's larger-than-life paintings, including a monumental depiction of Antarctica, serve as the backdrop for a discussion on the intersection of art and reality. As they delve into Rockman's hyperbolic realism and fascination with depicting the indescribable, they navigate through themes of mutation, genetic deviance, and the surreal landscapes of science fiction. From the visionary score of "Blade Runner" to the haunting melodies of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me," each track echoes the depth of Rockman's artistic vision. Alexis Rockman (b. 1962) is an American contemporary artist known for his paintings that provide depictions of future landscapes as they might exist with impacts of climate change and evolution influenced by genetic engineering. Image: Romantic Attachments, 2007. Courtesy of Alexis Rockman.

In this episode, David Humphrey welcomes artist Benjamin Butler, an American painter living in Vienna, whose work explores the intricate relationship between trees and the air. Through their conversation, Benjamin shares insights into his artistic process, discussing influences from his upbringing in the Midwest to his experiences in art school. They delve into the complexity of Benjamin's paintings, which blend various styles and idioms, leaving the distinction between kitsch and high art blurred. The discussion extends to Benjamin's eclectic playlist, featuring Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" to the experimental sounds of early John Cage piano pieces, and personal compositions by Benjamin and Anne Eastman under Studio Cat. Image: Thirty-four Trees at Sunset, 2007. Courtesy of Benjamin Butler.

In this episode, host David Humphrey welcomes New York painter Ellen Altfest. Ellen shares her insights and introduces listeners to a selection of country music, delving into its darkly humorous tones and lyrical storytelling. As David probes the unexpected pairing of country music with Ellen's art, she illuminates the parallels between the specificity of musical storytelling and the character-driven nature of her paintings. Through an eclectic playlist ranging from Christian hymns to classic tunes, Ellen shares the haunting melodies of "Poor Ellen Smith" by Felice & Boudleaux Bryant and the introspective depth of "The Christian Life" by The Byrds. Ellen Altfest (b. 1971) s an American painter best known for her realist depictions of landscapes and still lifes that often blur the distinction between the two genres. Image: Rock, Foot, Plant (2009). Courtesy of White Cube.