Friends of The House: Todd DiCiurcio Q&A
Friends of The House: Todd DiCiurcio
Todd DiCiurcio is a New York based artist known for his eccentric live paintings of musicians and bands. His unique process has garnered worldwide attention and DiCiurcio has painted the likes of the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Blondie, and New Order— to name a few. His murals have been featured at The Surf Lodge in Montauk and he created pieces honoring the Grateful Dead for the premiere of Fire on The Mountain, which took place at World of McIntosh.
Where do you draw the most inspiration for your work?
It’s an observed intersection of life in real-time- thru sound, humanity & their resonance with history.
Can you describe the relationship between your art and music?
A parallel of sound to mark-making, the process of which is its own dogma of Akashic record. And after all these years creating the live drawings and paintings, one thing is for sure- it’s true to how it began.
How does painting with a live band change the energy behind your pieces?
Each show is a completely new experience. Every moment leading into them is different, & I must only rely on reaction. Hence, a completely new work is created, charged by the surrounding immediate.
For your live paintings, do you go into it with an idea in mind or does it come to you when the music begins?
The live paintings are created during the performance, but are not performance-based. My effort was and still is to create a dialogue between visual art and music. In this way, the painting starts when the show starts and ends when the music stops. There is no editing. A continuous, often blind contour reactive line that becomes incontrovertible marks shaping a certain, yet entirely unknown composition.
You paint murals, surfboards, clothing— everything! Do you have a preferred medium?
I am merely applying my sense of composition to alternate mediums. That said, I do love to work on paper, believing drawing is the truth.
What is your creative process when starting a new piece or series?
It’s never what I expected, yet I have zero expectations. Over time I’ve noticed there tends to be a rippling continuum from the last works which then sharply pivots into unknown territory.
As a Friend of The House, what is your favorite part of being at WOM?
My experience at WOM is always so special. I had the opportunity to build an installation of works created collaboratively with Chris Benchetler, Rob Machado & myself as part of the immersive World Premiere Exhibition of Fire On The Mountain at WOM, with all the merry souls involved. To say there’s a favorite part of this entire world is impossible…it’s everything to the artist.
How do you describe the energy when you enter the townhouse?
It’s like being patched into the current of everything you’ve always felt about sound & it’s precise application & amplification but never got to experience until that very moment. A synapse for a lifetime thereafter.
Where can people come view your work now?
That’s just part of the adventure.
Has quarantine inspired your creative process or do you prefer to be out and about?
My mind is constantly out & about, my spirit is ahead of that still, so my body sees this as fertile stimulus & epiphanic slippages into the observed signals being captured. Quickfire:
Favorite restaurant in NYC?
Flowershop NYC
Favorite city to visit?
Paris
Best surf spot?
Costa Rica
Best concert you’ve ever been to
Jane’s Addiction at Lollapalooza, Waterloo Village, Stanhope NJ 1991
Superpower of choice
To fly
Check out some of Todd’s amazing work below:
