Peter Shire

Peter Shire is an artist based in Los Angeles.

What artworks would you have/do you have in your drawing room?

My drawing room is my living room where I have my drawing board in-front of the TV. So, the artworks that I have in there are the ones that I am working on at any given moment, while watching DVDs. 

What books would you read/are you reading in your drawing room?

Considering the reality of insomnia there is a great deal of time to read at those witching hours, I read and reread the books that I love, mostly noir. Perhaps because it’s dark outside also. Raymond Chandler, Walter Mosley, Kinky Friedman, peppered with Somerset Maugham and Truman Capote for a nostalgic and sometimes dark mysticism. And of course, a constant diet of the New Yorker and Automobile Magazine. Also Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne.

What movies would you watch/are you watching in your drawing room?

This really refers back to the first question. 99.9 % of my movie watching is on DVD. Which means that many of the best movies ever made are at my fingertips and many movies are of interest as cultural touchstones (although they may be somewhat terrible). Recently I watched 25 (Akira) Kurosawa movies in a row and as a chaser watched the box set of (Jacques) Tati movies.  As to the cultural touchstones, for better or worse, most Hollywood movies tell us who we are as a culture, so take your pick. Alot of things are romanticized by Hollywood or endorsed in a thoughtless way. Insulted by a group of Hollywood movies, of dubious lineage, I continue to be impressed and mystified by the American scene. Occasionally Hollywood redeems itself with such anomalies as Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell (which is an inspiration for absurd and confrontational furniture, when she subjects the MAGA stock broker types to a group of hydraulic furniture going out of control, designed by fictitious Danish designer Yul Ulu). And of course, I love the first seven Bond movies because of the amazing production designer Ken Adam. Also Beauty Shop Movie, All in the Family and Pygmalion.

What music would you listen to/are you listening to in your drawing room?

My favorite foods are steak and potatoes and artichokes and salad when I’m in the mood for it. It seems that deserts are ultra-attractive but of no interest otherwise. Fancy mixed drinks are really a romance and everything that James Bond liked, I like. No hints of lavender, etc. in my drinks. And a martini should be made with GIN. Drink your vodka straight, thrown at the back of your neck. And furthermore, by some wonderful event, if I get knighted, I won’t call myself sir, but I will expect you to call me sir, like Ringo. I am talking about food now because it sets me into a harmony of raptures and clearly takes on a musical character and depth. And to go further it has always been clear to me that music is present in all of the work and the work isn’t good unless you are dancing. 

Who would you/do you invite into your drawing room?

My fantasies.