Steve Heller interviewed (at 4:30 a.m.)

Does 'the city that never sleeps' actually get a wink or two? Getting up at 4 am is a good way to figure that out. I awoke at this time to conduct an interview with Steve Heller during the week he was honored with his Masters Series Award and show. Along with UnBeige.com establishing Steve Heller Week, we were astounded by the pop-beautiful exhibit on his oeuvre at the SVA gallery, and amused and entertained at the Masters Series conversation between Heller and Michael Bierut, given to a packed house.

That talk raised the oft-asked question— “how early do you get up again?”  For those who don’t (but should) already know, Steve Heller gets up earlier than you. He likes to be writing around 4:30- 5 am, and stays awake until “Jon Stewart does his interview”, after 11pm. So what’s a good interviewer to do, but see what that foreign landscape is like?

CRIT: Firstly, howabout that weather out there? A little drab, but feeling more like fall?

Heller: Yes. Drab. But its so dark I can't tell. I guess I'll wear my down vest to the gym.

C: Paul McCartney was a notorious morning person, rolling out of bed to put together songs like "Hey Jude" and "Let it Be"... he even starts a song with " Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock as the day begins". Do you believe there is success in starting early?

H: Mucho. I do my best spelling in the wee hours. See, I can spell wee. . .

C: Do you find anything inspiring in the morning landscape of New York?

H: It reminds me of the late night landscape, without the abnoxious (I know I spelled it wrong) people on the street.

C: What do you think of the myriad of artists that prefer late night bouts of creativity?

H; They're sick. I think something should be done about them.

C: Going back to your exhibition & honors for the SVA Masters Series:

You were a major player for Screw, the revolutionary sex mag of the 60s; why do you think we no longer have left-leaning smut?

H: Smut goes in cycles. When there's a democratic President there's more right-leaning smut and vice versa. Although that should mean there should be more left-leaning smut today. So, to answer your question, I don't know. But I'll hazard a guess. Back then smut was just another word for rebellion. We (the so-called left) used any means possible to rebel against the status quo, and this included sex. Now sex, sexuality, sensuality, and porn is so mainstream on tv, films, and stage, that its no longer (except in truly gross ways) a threat or weapon against the establishment.

C: Would you ever return to sex publications, if they could rise above their current genre?

H: No. I'm too left-leaning for that.

C: When you are collecting objects, whether it's Mao figurines, razor packaging, or swastika emblems, do you stay focused on one subject as you are amassing, or do you skip around, depending on luck or interest?

H: I collect based on two rationales. One is to fill in documentary gaps in what I'm researching for a book or article. The other is to explore new areas that I will eventually write about. So I jump around at times, and stay focused at times. I have finished collecting swastikas, Maos, etc. because the books are done or almost done. What's next? Not quite sure.

C: Okay, 50 years from now, or whenever you plan to retire, what would you like to see happen to your ephemera collections?

H: My fascist and totalitarian material is being donated to an archive at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach when the book comes out, hopefully this Spring. I have donated materials to the Cooper Hewitt in the past. Currently, I'm donating lots of material to the SVA design archive that is named after Milton Glaser. I hope my various collections will find good homes.

C: What's the greatest privilege of being a critical writer?

H: Writing critically, I guess. Frankly, its just a privilege to be able to write, be edited, be published, be taken seriously, even criticized.

C: What's the largest downside of being a critical writer?

H: There are certain people out there, even those I respect, who get angry. So be it.

C: Really, how do you function on so little sleep?

H: I'm not sure. Good genes I guess. But its now 5:12 and I've got to get dressed and go to the gym.