Some of you Deadwood fanatics may have spotted the name Alix Lambert under the writing credit for the episode A Rich Find. Without realizing it you came across one of the most exciting fine artists working today. Lamberts work stretches across dozens of mediums, from painting to sculptures to documentaries and tattooing. Her work has been shown in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and The Georges Pompidou in Paris. Her new book Mastering the Melon collects much of her work from the fine art field over the past 15 years. Her documentary The Mark of Can, will perhaps be the most interesting to the SuicideGirls community because it examines prison tattooing in Russia while at the same time shows the conditions that the prisoners live under.
Buy Mastering the Melon
Daniel Robert Epstein: What are you up to today?
Alix Lambert: Im working on a TV show, John from Cincinnati. Its [Deadwood creator] David Milchs new HBO drama.
DRE: Are you writing and producing?
Alix: Im an associate producer and staff writer.
DRE: Whats the show about?
Alix: Its a family of surfers set in Imperial Beach. Beyond that you have to wait and see.
DRE: How is it working with David?
Alix: I love working with David. Ive done documentaries on surfers so I have some knowledge of the surf world. It worked out nicely.
DRE: How did you get into TV in the first place?
Alix: It was accidental. My background is in the fine art world and I had done a lot of art videos and I had done documentary on Russian prisons independently. Then Nightline dedicated an episode to that film. Then I subsequently produced another episode of Nightline. Then there was a show on PBS called Life 360. That was all producers from Nightline and I directed a number of segments for that show so that was my segway into television.
DRE: Obviously when it comes to fine arts youre limited only by your imagination and materials, how is it working on a television show thats not one you created?
Alix: It is a great experience to work with David because hes so intelligent and creative. I still do my own work so I dont feel like Ive abandoned anything. I exhibit my photography and Im working on two books. Its a good balance because it gives me the opportunity to eat [laughs] and Ive learned a lot.
DRE: I know youve probably done plenty of writing but did you have to learn about things like story structure from David or the other writers?
Alix: Im constantly learning from David and from the other writers. It is an evolving process as we figure out what were doing. The show and the writing are very different from Deadwood.
DRE: Are there similarities between creating your fine art work and working in television?
Alix: For me there are. The conceptual artwork I did had a documentary type base to it. Also I am part of a theater company in New York and we pick themes for the plays, then we do interviews and after that we pull the text of the plays from the interviews and then we perform those. Conceptual art is how I got started in the art world. I got married and divorced four times in six months and I showed all of the wedding documents and divorce papers and photographs. So it is a similar process of exploring something firsthand in a documentary.
DRE: Of course Deadwood is an amazing show but a person might not think that a fine artist that is also a woman would be the right fit for that show as a writer.
Alix: No, but you might think its fine for a woman who spent a month and a half in a Russian prison [laughs]. I think if you can get through the Russian prisons you can make it through the day on Deadwood. Trust me on that [laughs]. But I guess what Im saying is that youre right. One of the things I think thats great about David is he gives opportunities to people that otherwise might not get them, such as me.
DRE: Did you have any reservations about working on Deadwood specifically?
Alix: No, I jumped at the opportunity and was very excited.
DRE: How did you first get into tattooing?
Alix: I got a tattoo when I was 17 and I had a babysitter that had a tattoo. The tattoos in Russian prisons interested me because of the language within them. Those prisoners are able to communicate their entire life story with their tattoos. What prison they are in, what crimes they committed, what rank they were in the prison, what their dislikes and likes were. All of that was written on their bodies, literally. That was the only way they could communicate without the guards knowing what they meant. It also created this whole hierarchical ranking within the prison, it would reveal who was the top guy and who was the guy who was going to be used for sex and all things like that.
DRE: How did you talk your way into the prison?
Alix: I drank my way into it [laughs]. I had a friend named Tony Pemberton who is married to a Russian woman that was, at the time, living in Moscow. They helped me put a Russian crew together. These prisons never have anyone visit so I think a lot of was luck. Then the people who ran the prisons never met any Americans and I am a woman so I think that helped.
DRE: You work in a lot of different mediums. Was that something that youve always done?
Alix: Yes, I went to an art high school so I basically studied art since I was 14. I jumped around from painting to sculpture to photography, performance, whatever. People seem to get disturbed by it [laughs] but to me if you have a creative idea you choose the expression for it that suits it. I dont see the difference between making a painting or writing the story. It is just a different way of expressing something creative.
DRE: You always have a lot of different projects going at once, do you need to do that because of all the different opportunities?
Alix: I think I need to do it because of my psychological problems [laughs]. I enjoy being busy and I dont go to bars or parties. I dont like crowded places. So I tend to not only enjoy the work but enjoy the built in social structure in a collaborative artform like filmmaking where youre working with people you like and youre getting together with a common goal in mind.
DRE: Were your parents educated in fine art?
Alix: [laughs] No, my fathers a lawyer. When I was growing up my mother taught sixth grade science though she does write poetry now. I was a bit of an oddball in my family. My older sister studied science and is a pilot now. I was very introverted and quiet and liked to do visual things. I got involved in this art program over the summer through some friend who I knew was out there. It was a magnate program where they bring in young students who are serious artists. But I never studied anything else so basically I have a 14 year olds education [laughs].
DRE: You dont really need much more than that.
Alix: Probably. I have always felt that if you have no Plan B then Plan A better work out.
DRE: How did you pick the subcultures youve worked with?
Alix: It is very intuitive and organic. I never sit down and figure out, Well this will be the thing that I will do next. I am endlessly fascinated by people and I constantly am cutting out articles and reading books and looking at stuff. So when something presents itself as an opportunity, its almost like the project chose me. For example, I was shooting [the singer] Jack Johnson surfing for Life 360 and thats where I met the Malloys who are three brothers who are professional surfers. When Life 360 wanted to do something on siblings, I thought of them. They have a sister who was deaf and blind and suffering from cerebral palsy. It seemed like an interesting story about siblings so thats what I did next. Its like all my projects tumble into each other in a way thats not organized or planned. I work with a small idea and then it snowballs. By the time youre done with the project you know what it is about but not before.
DRE: I read that you were studying to be a pilot at one point.
Alix: I did a piece for Life 360 where I was in flight school. Then I did a number of different flight things like I went up in the KC-135 which is what they train astronauts on. I flew with the Blue Angels and I flew the Goodyear Blimp. It was a half hour piece that would have ended with me getting my license but 9/11 happened. We aired it anyway after I altered the piece to address 9/11. But since then I have never completed my pilots license and every week I mark down that I should.
DRE: Now that you have a reputation for being able to get these things out, have you found that its easier or harder to find the people that you want to deal with?
Alix: Its always a struggle. Ive worked with really great people who have been really good with me and I would like to continue to work with them because weve built a little family and then we try and hang onto it for dear life.
DRE: Do you have desire to create your own television show?
Alix: I would like to direct my own movie. I have a screenplay that Im interested in directing and thats what Id like to do next.
DRE: What is it about?
Alix: I can say its based on a true crime story.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Buy Mastering the Melon
Daniel Robert Epstein: What are you up to today?
Alix Lambert: Im working on a TV show, John from Cincinnati. Its [Deadwood creator] David Milchs new HBO drama.
DRE: Are you writing and producing?
Alix: Im an associate producer and staff writer.
DRE: Whats the show about?
Alix: Its a family of surfers set in Imperial Beach. Beyond that you have to wait and see.
DRE: How is it working with David?
Alix: I love working with David. Ive done documentaries on surfers so I have some knowledge of the surf world. It worked out nicely.
DRE: How did you get into TV in the first place?
Alix: It was accidental. My background is in the fine art world and I had done a lot of art videos and I had done documentary on Russian prisons independently. Then Nightline dedicated an episode to that film. Then I subsequently produced another episode of Nightline. Then there was a show on PBS called Life 360. That was all producers from Nightline and I directed a number of segments for that show so that was my segway into television.
DRE: Obviously when it comes to fine arts youre limited only by your imagination and materials, how is it working on a television show thats not one you created?
Alix: It is a great experience to work with David because hes so intelligent and creative. I still do my own work so I dont feel like Ive abandoned anything. I exhibit my photography and Im working on two books. Its a good balance because it gives me the opportunity to eat [laughs] and Ive learned a lot.
DRE: I know youve probably done plenty of writing but did you have to learn about things like story structure from David or the other writers?
Alix: Im constantly learning from David and from the other writers. It is an evolving process as we figure out what were doing. The show and the writing are very different from Deadwood.
DRE: Are there similarities between creating your fine art work and working in television?
Alix: For me there are. The conceptual artwork I did had a documentary type base to it. Also I am part of a theater company in New York and we pick themes for the plays, then we do interviews and after that we pull the text of the plays from the interviews and then we perform those. Conceptual art is how I got started in the art world. I got married and divorced four times in six months and I showed all of the wedding documents and divorce papers and photographs. So it is a similar process of exploring something firsthand in a documentary.
DRE: Of course Deadwood is an amazing show but a person might not think that a fine artist that is also a woman would be the right fit for that show as a writer.
Alix: No, but you might think its fine for a woman who spent a month and a half in a Russian prison [laughs]. I think if you can get through the Russian prisons you can make it through the day on Deadwood. Trust me on that [laughs]. But I guess what Im saying is that youre right. One of the things I think thats great about David is he gives opportunities to people that otherwise might not get them, such as me.
DRE: Did you have any reservations about working on Deadwood specifically?
Alix: No, I jumped at the opportunity and was very excited.
DRE: How did you first get into tattooing?
Alix: I got a tattoo when I was 17 and I had a babysitter that had a tattoo. The tattoos in Russian prisons interested me because of the language within them. Those prisoners are able to communicate their entire life story with their tattoos. What prison they are in, what crimes they committed, what rank they were in the prison, what their dislikes and likes were. All of that was written on their bodies, literally. That was the only way they could communicate without the guards knowing what they meant. It also created this whole hierarchical ranking within the prison, it would reveal who was the top guy and who was the guy who was going to be used for sex and all things like that.
DRE: How did you talk your way into the prison?
Alix: I drank my way into it [laughs]. I had a friend named Tony Pemberton who is married to a Russian woman that was, at the time, living in Moscow. They helped me put a Russian crew together. These prisons never have anyone visit so I think a lot of was luck. Then the people who ran the prisons never met any Americans and I am a woman so I think that helped.
DRE: You work in a lot of different mediums. Was that something that youve always done?
Alix: Yes, I went to an art high school so I basically studied art since I was 14. I jumped around from painting to sculpture to photography, performance, whatever. People seem to get disturbed by it [laughs] but to me if you have a creative idea you choose the expression for it that suits it. I dont see the difference between making a painting or writing the story. It is just a different way of expressing something creative.
DRE: You always have a lot of different projects going at once, do you need to do that because of all the different opportunities?
Alix: I think I need to do it because of my psychological problems [laughs]. I enjoy being busy and I dont go to bars or parties. I dont like crowded places. So I tend to not only enjoy the work but enjoy the built in social structure in a collaborative artform like filmmaking where youre working with people you like and youre getting together with a common goal in mind.
DRE: Were your parents educated in fine art?
Alix: [laughs] No, my fathers a lawyer. When I was growing up my mother taught sixth grade science though she does write poetry now. I was a bit of an oddball in my family. My older sister studied science and is a pilot now. I was very introverted and quiet and liked to do visual things. I got involved in this art program over the summer through some friend who I knew was out there. It was a magnate program where they bring in young students who are serious artists. But I never studied anything else so basically I have a 14 year olds education [laughs].
DRE: You dont really need much more than that.
Alix: Probably. I have always felt that if you have no Plan B then Plan A better work out.
DRE: How did you pick the subcultures youve worked with?
Alix: It is very intuitive and organic. I never sit down and figure out, Well this will be the thing that I will do next. I am endlessly fascinated by people and I constantly am cutting out articles and reading books and looking at stuff. So when something presents itself as an opportunity, its almost like the project chose me. For example, I was shooting [the singer] Jack Johnson surfing for Life 360 and thats where I met the Malloys who are three brothers who are professional surfers. When Life 360 wanted to do something on siblings, I thought of them. They have a sister who was deaf and blind and suffering from cerebral palsy. It seemed like an interesting story about siblings so thats what I did next. Its like all my projects tumble into each other in a way thats not organized or planned. I work with a small idea and then it snowballs. By the time youre done with the project you know what it is about but not before.
DRE: I read that you were studying to be a pilot at one point.
Alix: I did a piece for Life 360 where I was in flight school. Then I did a number of different flight things like I went up in the KC-135 which is what they train astronauts on. I flew with the Blue Angels and I flew the Goodyear Blimp. It was a half hour piece that would have ended with me getting my license but 9/11 happened. We aired it anyway after I altered the piece to address 9/11. But since then I have never completed my pilots license and every week I mark down that I should.
DRE: Now that you have a reputation for being able to get these things out, have you found that its easier or harder to find the people that you want to deal with?
Alix: Its always a struggle. Ive worked with really great people who have been really good with me and I would like to continue to work with them because weve built a little family and then we try and hang onto it for dear life.
DRE: Do you have desire to create your own television show?
Alix: I would like to direct my own movie. I have a screenplay that Im interested in directing and thats what Id like to do next.
DRE: What is it about?
Alix: I can say its based on a true crime story.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
zoetica:
Some of you Deadwood fanatics may have spotted the name Alix Lambert under the writing credit for the episode A Rich Find. Without realizing it you came across one of the most exciting fine artists working today. Lamberts work stretches across dozens...
dragoneyemorison:
Where can I find a copy of The Mark of Cain?