Show notes
What can an ink drawing and one line of text really do?
In the hands of Guy Richards Smit, it can hold horror and humour in the same breath. It can slice through politics while pretending to be an amuse-bouche between heavier courses. It can make you laugh, wince, and then realise you’ve been implicated.
Born and raised in New York City, Guy is a painter, performer, musician, video artist and, more recently, a New Yorker cartoonist. But that barely scratches the surface. As you’ll hear, he’s always been fascinated by the vehicles that carry culture, whether pop songs, sitcoms, or the single-panel gag cartoon.
From poring over old New Yorker anthologies in his grandparents’ dark apartment as a child, to submitting ten cartoons a week with no acknowledgement for over a year before finally getting one accepted, his journey has been about curiosity and commitment.
We talk about what he learned from making protest banners at the age of 16 with Keith Haring, about the discipline of making work at speed and trusting that ideas will catch up with action. We explore the economics of cartooning, and how Guy has built a living not from the commission alone but from understanding how to connect with and cultivate collectors.
We dive into what it means to stick your neck out politically at a time of deep division. And into his alter egos, those exquisitely awkward, ego-pricking characters that taught him what satire costs and what it can reveal.
Above all, this is a conversation about quality and fear. About not hiding behind perfectionism. About being willing to wade knee deep through the messy, human, slightly off-key parts of your practice, because that is often where the gold lives.
If you’ve ever wondered whether one small, strange idea is worth it, this episode is for you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
You don’t think your small, “too obvious” ideas count. Guy shows us they’re often the ones that travel furthest.
Guy sent ten cartoons a week into silence. The breakthrough wasn’t a lightning bolt; it was repetition.
Instead of clinging to one identity, Guy keeps asking, “What’s the right container for this idea, right now?”
BEST MOMENTS
“Sometimes your thoughts, while they bore you, are more surprising to other people.”
“Produce. Back your hunches. Don’t wait for the perfect idea to drop from the sky. Make ten things. Make a hundred. Let the work shape you as you shape it.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://www.instagram.com/guy_richards_smit
HOST BIO
With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.
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This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/