JOE DENARDO: Confusion is Not Easy

Joe DeNardo lives in Brooklyn and has a van for sale. Its a red 1989 Chevy van 10 with a V8, a short wheel base, 80,000 miles on the dash, newly rebuilt transmission and a moonroof. While there's some rust on the body, it runs great, passed New York State inspection and is thus available for test drives weeknights. Additionally, Joe makes films, collages, photographs and plays guitar in Growing.

What do you do? What are you doing the most lately?
I follow major league baseball, play music, watch movies, and drink.

How long have you done these things? How have the things changed?

A pretty long time. Each of the things have gotten better and better, but harder and harder.

Why do you do these things? What's it like when you are unable to do these things?

I get a nice FLOW when I'm doing these things. Sometimes I feel really good, and most times I don't worry as much. When I can't do these things I get anxious and angry.

You're from Chicago, where baseball lives in the Cubs & The White Sox. Could you tell us about what these teams mean to you?
Chicago is a Cubs town. Even the White Sox admit that. If the Cubs ever won the World Series again they'd paint the town cubbie blue. The White Sox are some bastard American League team that doesn't play true baseball that showed up 40 years later under the original moniker of the Cubs (the white stockings). How unoriginal.

Could you talk a little bit about what you do & why?

I like to take pictures and shoot motion picture film. I pretty much just really like what lenses do, and how you can combine what lenses make (pictures) in different ways, moving or still, and how all that can render dimension. I wish I could spend more time on it.

When was That Moment in your life that told you you would become what you are?

I don't think I've had That Moment yet, unless That Moment is just the series of daily moments that continually tell me what "I'm not".

How has your life changed to accommodate That Moment's effect on you?
I've become comfortable with being dissatisfied. But confusion is not easy.

How has your work affected your life in return?

Keeps me going.


How do you relate to David Lee Roth?
Don't know him.

Favorite book & movie?

I don't have an all time favorite book or movie, but I was impressed with THE MEMOIRS OF MADAME DE LA TOUR DU PIN, which I just read, and I recently rewatched PASSE MONTAGNE by JF Stevenin, and realized its really a favorite of mine. So many images!

What do you think of the future?
I like it because it hasn't happened yet, but don't think I'll like it much once it has.

All images by Joe DeNardo.
Top to bottom: CCHM 2009, Moving Picture Left, New View, Subtractive Notation
GROWING
Films by Joe