The Future of Art According to Marcel Dzama

Painter, draughtsman, and filmmaker Marcel Dzama creates ink and watercolor drawings of fantastical characters enacting bizarre, surreal scenarios. Beyond the confines of the art world, his work has appeared on album covers for bands such as Beck and They Might Be Giants; and in 2016 he designed both a set and costumes for the New York City Ballet in collaboration with choreographer Justin Peck and composer Bryce Dessner of the National.
Dzama admits a personal aversion to technology's rapid advance in our lives and embraces tradition, creating intimate works on paper inspired by the work of William Blake and Francisco de Goya, among others. Inside his whimsical Brooklyn studio, he describes the tension that can arise between artists who embrace or reject new technologies in their work, the continued relevance of traditional media, and a desire for humanity to slow down in an age when information comes at us with ever-quickening pace.
Featuring Marcel Dzama
Directed by William Silva Reddington
Executive Producers: Matt McLaughlin, Andrew Simkiss, and Harrison Nalevansky
Director of Photography: Ryan Marie Helfant
Line Producer: Zein Zubi
Music: “Slowdance” by Gentleman Writers. Appears courtesy of Musicbed.
Editor: William Silva Reddington
Post Supervisor: Kristine Pregot
Additional footage courtesy of Archive.org
Production Team for Artsy:
Marina Cashdan, Head of Editorial and Creative Director
Alexander Forbes, Executive Editor
Demie Kim, Editorial Associate
Jamie Arendt, Producer
Owen Dodd, Designer
Molly Gottschalk, Features Producer