The Handyman of High Art: Tom Sachs On Why Creativity Is The Enemy, Why Talent Is Overrated, & The Disciplines That Define A Life
3/2/20261 hr 47 min
Tom Sachs is a contemporary artist and cultural provocateur known for turning branded consumer objects into high art.
This conversation explores the paradoxes that define Tom's art and his iconoclastic philosophy of living; why creativity is the enemy, the power of sympathetic magic, consumerism as secular religion, the infamous Barney's nativity scene that launched his career, and why persistence — not talent — is omnipotent.
And in doing so, Tom dismantles the intransigent myth that artists are a different species and makes a compelling case that we're all creative beings irrespective of what we do for a livi...
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First 90 secondsTom Sachs· Guest0:00
[upbeat music] I make stuff. I don't care if it's a painting or a poem or a podcast or a book, it's all sculpture to me. Tom Sachs is an artist. He's a sculptor. He is a designer.
Rich Roll· Host0:14
The prolific New York-based artist whose work defies categorization.
Tom Sachs· Guest0:18
The very, very human artist.
Rich Roll· Host0:20
Beneath that is this idea of the power of storytelling.
Tom Sachs· Guest0:24
I despise the elitism of the art world. There should be a sign on every work of art on the wall that says, "You don't need to read this sign to understand this art." [laughs] Authenticity is everything. Artists do not have a corner on creativity. What are the kind of things that I wanna make? What are the stories that I wanna tell?
Rich Roll· Host0:42
[upbeat music] It's a real honor to have you here. I've wanted to meet you for quite a long time. I've been a fan at arm's length for many years. One of your banger quotes is, "If at first you don't succeed, give up immediately."
Tom Sachs· Guest1:01
Yes. So important. So important, and, and this is, if anything comes from a place of privilege, it's that, because we don't always have time. Sometimes we have to get through the problem and make a decision. But if we have a little bit of extra time, giving up immediately is the equivalent of sleeping on it. If you have a problem and you sleep on it, sometimes your subconscious mind can work on the problem. So how, this is how if at first you don't succeed, give up immediately works. Work the problem