Artist Craig Drennen is joined by Joe and Matthew at an undisclosed location. In this conversation culled from hours of recording, the three explore Drennen’s work, his process, and professional journey. Along that path, the three delve into minutiae ranging from vaping to Thomas Paine’s funeral.
Drennen shares an encounter with Chuck Close at a pivotal point in his career. Joe unleashes multiple sports references. Matthew reveals that Drennen now occupies the Timon of Athens bandwidth in his mind.
The yoke of abstraction is cast off. A nickname is revealed, though the source remains masked.
(Un)required Reading and Resources

* Timon of Athens at Wikipedia
* Supergirl at IMDb
* Chuck Close at Pace Gallery
* Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
* Review of Craig Drennen’s “Bandit” from MyAJC.com
* Thomas Paine at Wikipedia
* WPA at Wikipedia
* SoHo artist community history at Wikipedia
* Richard Linklater at IMDb
* Pearl S. Buck at Wikipedia
* James Baldwin at Wikipedia
* Kon-Tiki at Amazon
* Albert Oehlen at Gagosian
* Infinite Jest on Amazon
* Marcel Proust on Wikipedia
* Francis Picabia at The Art Story
* “The Handsome Pork Butcher” at Tate
* eephus pitch at Wikipedia (so you can prepare for that crossword moment)

Who Is Craig Drennen?
Craig Drennen’s recent exhibitions include “Bandit” at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, “The Grafforists” at the Torrance Art Museum, and “New Mistress vs. Old Athenians” at Brooklyn Fireproof. His work has been reviewed in Artforum, Art in America, and The New York Times.
Drennen teaches at Georgia State University and has served as dean of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Since 2008, he has organized his studio practice around Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.
Craig Drennen is represented by Samsøn of Boston.