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Interview with Peter Max

Aired October 04, 2002 - 11:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The September 11 terrorist attacks inspired creative outlets for many artists, some amateur, others professional. One of the pros, Peter Max, just unveiled a new exhibit in Washington, D.C., and he's with us now to talk about Pop to Patriotism -- good to see you, Peter.
PETER MAX, ARTIST: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: Last time I saw you, it was during a New Orleans Super Bowl.

MAX: That is right. That is right.

WHITFIELD: So this time, we talk about an exhibit taking place in three galleries, right, in Washington, D.C., Pop to Patriotism. What inspired all of this? Obviously the September 11 attacks, but how soon after did you start working on these works?

MAX: Well, you know what happened is -- the day September 11 happened, we were going to go down and lift rocks, and be with Rudy Giuliani and pick rocks. We were about 105 people in the studio, and we got a phone call that we can't go down there, we can't go to Ground Zero, so one of my guys, Victor, who is my art director, said Peter, let's do the thing you do best, and let's do some posters. So I created six different posters, about one or two a day for about four or five days, and then I went and I printed them, and they are on PETERMAX.COM, and we have so far sold several hundred thousand dollars worth. We hope to be at a million before the end of the year.

WHITFIELD: How much are these images going for?

MAX: The images -- they are very cheap. You know, I sign them and personalize them for $150 apiece, and every dollar goes to the charities, to the Twin Tower Fund, of course, to the Pentagon Survivors Fund, and so we are very, very thrilled that we were able to participate in some way.

And so -- I went yesterday, in fact, I was at the Pentagon, I saw how quickly they built everything up. It was unbelievable. Just amazing to me to see. I was standing exactly where the plane hit, quite unbelievable.

WHITFIELD: Now, one of the threads in the four images we have had a chance to see there and our viewers have had a chance to see, you had the American flag and the Statue of Liberty, which make sort of repeated appearances on the four images that we have. What is it that you, perhaps, were thinking as you were creating these works? What did you, you know, want most to be magnified as your message?

MAX: What I really -- yes. What I really wanted everybody to know and to feel from the paintings, which I have, by the way, painted these images since 1976, I have been doing patriotic work, is to see that America is really the greatest country in the world. We are the richest.

But that is the secondary thing. The most fantastic thing is that we are the most generous country in the world, and we are the most inventive, the most creative. We are constantly there at every problem in the planet, there is America doing airlifts, sending food, and we're just amazing -- the greatest export that we have is democracy, and this is what I celebrate every single day.

WHITFIELD: So the originals are going to be at these galleries in Washington through Sunday -- today through Sunday?

MAX: Yes. The originals will be at the Wentworth Galleries. And also, I brought something along that no one has really seen yet.

WHITFIELD: Oh, show.

MAX: This thing here is the first book that just came out. It is a Harry Abrams book, and it is at all the Borders bookstores, and Barnes and Noble, and it is all about -- look at this -- the Liberties I've painted, and it's a fantastic -- it has my whole career in here. Look at this -- George Washington, and...

WHITFIELD: Native Americans...

MAX: Yes, the Native American, Sitting Bull, and just a great, great book. So that's what I'm doing here in Washington, celebrating America.

WHITFIELD: You are doing a lot.

MAX: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, we appreciate it. And, of course, folks can, as you reminded us, try and get a print, an original print with your signing on it, from your PETERMAX.COM, and we appreciate you visiting with us and elaborating on your works of art, and of course, we always enjoy those colorful pieces that you put out. Appreciate it.

MAX: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 4, 2002 - 11:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The September 11 terrorist attacks inspired creative outlets for many artists, some amateur, others professional. One of the pros, Peter Max, just unveiled a new exhibit in Washington, D.C., and he's with us now to talk about Pop to Patriotism -- good to see you, Peter.
PETER MAX, ARTIST: Nice to see you.

WHITFIELD: Last time I saw you, it was during a New Orleans Super Bowl.

MAX: That is right. That is right.

WHITFIELD: So this time, we talk about an exhibit taking place in three galleries, right, in Washington, D.C., Pop to Patriotism. What inspired all of this? Obviously the September 11 attacks, but how soon after did you start working on these works?

MAX: Well, you know what happened is -- the day September 11 happened, we were going to go down and lift rocks, and be with Rudy Giuliani and pick rocks. We were about 105 people in the studio, and we got a phone call that we can't go down there, we can't go to Ground Zero, so one of my guys, Victor, who is my art director, said Peter, let's do the thing you do best, and let's do some posters. So I created six different posters, about one or two a day for about four or five days, and then I went and I printed them, and they are on PETERMAX.COM, and we have so far sold several hundred thousand dollars worth. We hope to be at a million before the end of the year.

WHITFIELD: How much are these images going for?

MAX: The images -- they are very cheap. You know, I sign them and personalize them for $150 apiece, and every dollar goes to the charities, to the Twin Tower Fund, of course, to the Pentagon Survivors Fund, and so we are very, very thrilled that we were able to participate in some way.

And so -- I went yesterday, in fact, I was at the Pentagon, I saw how quickly they built everything up. It was unbelievable. Just amazing to me to see. I was standing exactly where the plane hit, quite unbelievable.

WHITFIELD: Now, one of the threads in the four images we have had a chance to see there and our viewers have had a chance to see, you had the American flag and the Statue of Liberty, which make sort of repeated appearances on the four images that we have. What is it that you, perhaps, were thinking as you were creating these works? What did you, you know, want most to be magnified as your message?

MAX: What I really -- yes. What I really wanted everybody to know and to feel from the paintings, which I have, by the way, painted these images since 1976, I have been doing patriotic work, is to see that America is really the greatest country in the world. We are the richest.

But that is the secondary thing. The most fantastic thing is that we are the most generous country in the world, and we are the most inventive, the most creative. We are constantly there at every problem in the planet, there is America doing airlifts, sending food, and we're just amazing -- the greatest export that we have is democracy, and this is what I celebrate every single day.

WHITFIELD: So the originals are going to be at these galleries in Washington through Sunday -- today through Sunday?

MAX: Yes. The originals will be at the Wentworth Galleries. And also, I brought something along that no one has really seen yet.

WHITFIELD: Oh, show.

MAX: This thing here is the first book that just came out. It is a Harry Abrams book, and it is at all the Borders bookstores, and Barnes and Noble, and it is all about -- look at this -- the Liberties I've painted, and it's a fantastic -- it has my whole career in here. Look at this -- George Washington, and...

WHITFIELD: Native Americans...

MAX: Yes, the Native American, Sitting Bull, and just a great, great book. So that's what I'm doing here in Washington, celebrating America.

WHITFIELD: You are doing a lot.

MAX: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, we appreciate it. And, of course, folks can, as you reminded us, try and get a print, an original print with your signing on it, from your PETERMAX.COM, and we appreciate you visiting with us and elaborating on your works of art, and of course, we always enjoy those colorful pieces that you put out. Appreciate it.

MAX: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com