Marc Andre Speaks on His "Banned From The Gallery" Exhibition

WORDS WITH WORD$ INTERVIEW #28

Yo, it’s the Pope, 1000WORD$.

Welcome to WORD$ WITH WORDS, where today we delve into the remarkable journey of Marc Andre, a self-taught artist who works out of Brooklyn. Born and raised in Paris before settling in Maryland, his raw talent and determination propelled him into the esteemed Chelsea gallery scene, defying the need for formal training.

With an innate connection to music, Andre views his artistic process as a symphony of visuals and sounds. Drawing inspiration from his own life and memories, he translates his experiences onto canvas, creating a profound reflection of himself through art. Not confined to painting alone, Andre's artistic versatility extends to music, collaborating with musicians on album covers that capture their essence.

One standout encounter for Andre was meeting philosopher and activist Cornel West, whose words of wisdom resonated deeply. West's reminder to protect his integrity further solidified Andre's commitment to his art and his responsibility to share his knowledge with others.

Andre's resilience and refusal to be limited by barriers are evident in his "Banned from the Gallery" art show held in Manhattan. Turning adversity into inspiration, he transformed a racially motivated ban by a New York gallery into a powerful statement about the importance of representation and breaking down barriers in the art world. The rise of Marc Andre exemplifies the transformative power of art in one's life.

THIS IS WORDS WITH WORD$. Subscribe now for more exclusive interviews, music, and art:

---

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER TO HEAR THE AUDIO FROM THIS INTERVIEW

---

1000WORD$: Yo, what's going on, It's 1000WORD$. I'm here with the motherfucking legendary Marc Andre!

Marc Andre: Yeah, we here, we here. 'Sup 1000!

1000WORD$: What's going on man? What you up to these days Marc?

Marc Andre: I've been working lately, painting, preparing a new series with an exhibition on the way. And I just dropped a new project, a mix tape, more like a street album, I would say, like back in the day. Documented the story very well. Red Stripe more than [10,000 plays] right now on Spotify, like historical album music like natural. It's been like two weeks since dropping. So more than 10,000 people tune in, in two weeks. [It] was all produced by me, all recorded by me, written by me. So basically pushing that right now and pushing the label I'm working with,  also my boy KC, you know, he just dropped his first debut. So I'm pushing that out all just coming out from [DMV], and stuff. So we're trying to put things together in a structure and keep elevating the culture.

1000WORD$: For the people that are going to read this, let the people know where you are from my brother.

Marc Andre: Originally, from Paris, France. I was born in the south of France in Toulouse. But I grew up in Paris. You know, basically till I was like 14 or 15 years old. Then my dad was living in the states. So he was living in Maryland. So after that, after middle school, I flew over to America. I went to Maryland. I stood there. Emery County. I live in Gettysburg. I'm going to high school, Germantown. Then after that Northwest, which I mean, like people I still make music with and still work with them in the high school. Then I studied until I was like, What 14-15 to 23 I moved to New York, I moved to Brooklyn. My home, ever since.

1000WORD$: What is your earliest memory of painting?

Marc Andre: My earliest memory painting. I will say when I was a kid, I made a cool Sculpture. Like a hand sculpture I was eight years old. That was like the first one I was like wow that's cool but after that, I never really looked at paintings. So it came out like there's like two years ago. Really, like, you know, 2021 that's when I started painting. I was embarrassed. Before that. Not people push me I didn't want to even think about it was not something I was planning to do. We just happened in 2021 naturally ever since you never stop.

1000WORD$: So you're fairly new to this art scene, then, as far as exhibiting your work?

Marc Andre: Yeah, like two years just really as a painter is really nothing, you know? There's been painters like 10 years in, that have done half of the resume I've done in two years. I guess you can't deny great work, masterpieces and the people love it as far as it goes. That's what keeps me going. The love of the people the way that they react to it, it could be a good critic or bad critic. But it makes you say something, so I know it's going in the right direction.

1000WORD$: I recently attended I think it was your first gallery ever?

Marc Andre: Actually, it was my first gallery and also my first Chelsea debut show. That's like in two years that I've been able to like, cause technically, it was actually a year ago because it wasn't 2023 yet so it was 2022 so in a year off of fully painting. Yeah, to achieve to go do a show in Chelsea it's huge for any painters. That's a main goal for a lot of painters is to have a solo exhibit in Chelsea.

1000WORD$: It was right across the street from the Basquiat gallery, man. 

Marc Andre: Yeah, exactly, at the same time.

1000WORD$: What a coincidence, right? Kinda crazy?  Where are some of the pieces like I know. I know you travel a lot. Is that part of like? Is that part of like what makes you helps you A creative all the places you see and all these things that you come across.(I know you travel a lot. Is that what helps you stay creative, moving around and seeing all those new things you come across?

Marc Andre: Definitely, definitely. As a kid, not as much as a grown up because different circumstances. But as a kid, I did travel a lot a lot of places to different cultures. London, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, a lot of time, Greece. That's just on the Europe side, then I went to Africa, I went to a couple places, one to Tunisia went to Benin. That was already a very significant place to me. I felt like you know, it's still significant place for my heart. Because right now, the like ceremonies and like the tribal mask that I saw their in real life. It was insane. It was insane. Sometimes, like, once in a lifetime like I've ever seen, maybe I'll go back, eventually. But I've been Equatorial Guinea small island volcano it's still active over there.

1000WORD$: How did you feel when I reached out to you? Right? Because when I met you we didn't know each other from a hole in the wall. But I could see your ambition, you know what I mean? And not see it but feel it, you know what I mean? So me looking through Instagram seeing the way that you create your art, I was like, "Yo man how should I reach out to my boy and let them know that I needed to be a part of this show that I'm doing." At least as a part of the installment so I was thinking yo I'm about to go buy me or get these stoves... How did it feel painting that and then seeing your art displayed on the stage where these motherfuckers performed, man?

Marc Andre: That was a great moment because you had more my homeboys mad they didn't go to that concert you still hold us accountable for that. Yeah, went over there even took me and stuff. That was like an experience because you also opened my ears and my eyes to another scene. I didn't know neither. You know, I know Boston had so many rappers, the different scene, the different people. From that show I really connected with a different scene, with these people we still cool like we're still chopping it up. And we created a real human relationship. Like, for me, I was already hip to Stove God and stuff like that, one of my OGs always like, you know, loved Stove God album. So like, you know, we carry like, wear it today. It's just the fact that people are able to provide so it lives  longer is so legendary.] Graffiti. Legends that also did the wall, I felt part of the culture. I love hip hop. That was a moment of hip hop. My moment. I was like, Yeah, I could say that in that documentary. 30 years ago. Yeah. Graffiti. We used to paint a stone. This is hip hop. That was like a part of it. I felt like one of those Wyldstyle dudes, you know?

1000WORD$: That shit came up beautiful, man. 

Marc Andre: Thank you. 

1000WORD$: You know that piece is in New Jersey, in a warehouse. 

Marc Andre: Wow. Hip-hop Museum. I know they doing it right now with one of those items. especially when they dropped the million dollar album.

1000WORD$: So what's the science behind Banned from the Gallery?

Marc Andre: It's a long story, but basically, I was just helping my friend. What happened is that the owner of the galleries came in, and those two white guys that just didn't care about Black people. And just started wildin', like, really, really started like, you know, cursing at us. We don't give a fuck about the form. First off you not gotta go talk to a woman this way. That's kind of disrespectful. Because you're not talking to your daughter or your mom like that. I know. I don't know the situation. Like us brown and Black people you will not talk to us like that in a Black gallery. Like, you know, that was supposed to be for our people. The point of it is it's a black community. People gotta help where we need it. We're really not different, that the white men don't have no say so because there's no black gallery in that block. There was no, there was no black institution for black and brown people you know? Because we showcase Hispanic artists and different artists and Asians and stuff like that. So it bigger than that you aren't entitled to come in and curse at people for no reason while we're being polite to try to ask for help to fix the situation. And I'm taking a toll because I'm a part of the gallery, so I'm losing my spot, I'm causing my spot to be there to do this. So just because you know, what I felt the other day is the right thing to do. When somebody needs help you gotta help them. This is how I was raised. That had them thinking that they could try and get me kicked out and try to press charges. So they pressed the owner of the Gallery, so after that I knew already knew from that point that I fucked up. I was gonna get kicked out. So I was outside. These SoBS tell me like you banned from the gallery. From that me and my friends not that we found it funny but this guys a joke. Like you should do a mixtape, like a SoundCloud, called Banned from the Gallery. And then somehow it became a movement. People start like going in, because I was just like, it's bullshit. The whole time. He was not trying to give no show, whatever, he was a whole dump every time my show was supposed to on it got pushed back he was like oh nah. It's this and this to a point like, I don't know if I could sell your work, making excuses, so I start getting fed up. So I start using Banned from the Gallery and then it became a movement. People just follow it. To a point like, you know, the people in the staff of the gallery was like, I think like, you should get him a show. Like, you know, this is a genius idea. Banned from the Gallery is also like, because the white collectors also don't like me, because they like a certain type and after that I never let them dictate my art. I'm sorry, you don't understand my story. I'm not gonna let you dictate who I am because you got money. There's other people who got money who understand my story, and they will buy into it. And I'm doing it for my people first before for the voice of the people, the people spoken. 

1000WORD$: Was that the Gallery that we smoked the blunt at?

Marc Andre: Yeah! I was the bad child at the Gallery. Everybody was trying to follow the rules, I don't do rules. But that's what people love because they love that rebelliousness. They will feel something that make them go, yeah, like you went against the grain. And so that's why even the [woman became even stronger.]

1000WORD$: What do you got coming up next, my brother?

Marc Andre: I'm coming up next with preparedness for a new exhibition, still undecided on the titles yet? Start working on it. And now, but I'm still gonna push and produce a couple artists as I said. In June, I'm dropping an album called Paradiso. We're working really hard on it. It’s  gonna be really neat, I'm trying to really push it, push it to the limit. Maybe a tour? We'll see. We'll see how that goes. You know, one step at a time for real.

1000WORD$: I appreciate you my brother. Thank you so much.

Marc Andre: Thank you. Thank you. Thou.