PAUL STANLEY: 'The First Person I Have To Please Is Me'

October 13, 2007

Kevin Forest Moreau from TheSundayPaper.com recently conducted an interview with KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

TheSundayPaper.com: Do you think you've been well received by the art world?

Stanley: "I couldn't care less about the art world. I'm not interested in the snobbery that goes with any field. I'm only interested in people who connect because they love something or they love the work. I'd rather think of people as art lovers and collectors, and those people certainly have come in big numbers, because there are quite a lot of originals that sell, and to be blunt about it, they're not cheap. The sales in the last year are staggering, and I'm thrilled that something I initially did as a very personal means of expression and release has become something that other people relate to."

TheSundayPaper.com: How have you found the crowds at gallery shows to be different from rock audiences?

Stanley: "Interesting question. There certainly is a certain amount of crossover, but they both stand on their own. I'd have to say there are people buying paintings and other art that have never been to a KISS concert, and vice versa. I think it's great for both. The fact that people will initially come into a gallery and be drawn to some of my work without knowing who did it is very satisfying. And also knowing that some people [will come] who've never been to an art gallery, because I think the intimidation that pretty much is initiated by art critics keeps people away. The art critic would like you to believe your opinion isn't valid because it's not educated like his is. The truth of the matter is that it is valid."

TheSundayPaper.com: How is this creative process different from working with KISS?

Stanley: "This is unique in that it's purely my own. There's no collaboration and there's no opinions I have to deal with. That's always the ideal situation for me. I'm not really interested in anyone else's input on opinion when I'm creating a song or a painting. I'm certainly interested in what you think afterward. But the first person I have to please is me, and if I'm not pleased I don't care if anyone else is."

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