14 October 2018
Episode 86
28 minutes
The celebrated Chicago-based artist, known for his figurative paintings depicting black figures using his signature black paint, sits down with Augustin Macellari to reflect on his early passion for painting, the influence of the European masters and the invisibility of black bodies in the western canon of art.
14 October 2018
Share episode
DownloadWant more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
The Big Interview - latest episodes
Bob Mould
An icon of US alternative rock, Bob Mould was a member of influential Minneapolis band Hüsker Dü, which combined screaming guitars with sweet pop melodies in the 1980s and inspired later acts such as Nirvana. Mould’s sub…
Bill Broyles
The films of screenwriter Bill Broyles have time and again cemented themselves as classics of American cinema. Following his debut with the acclaimed series ‘China Beach’, came films including ‘Apollo 13’, ‘Cast Away’ and…
Joe Wright
Joe Wright is the acclaimed film director known for single-take shots, redefining cinematic genres and updating classic narratives. He first appeared on the global stage with his feature directorial debut, ‘Pride & Preju…
Ludovico Einaudi
Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian pianist and composer known for his unique blend of classical, folk and modern influences. His iconic albums, film scores and record-breaking concerts have made him one of the world’s most…
Damian Woetzel
Damian Woetzel is a former principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and the current president of the world’s most prestigious performing arts conservatory, The Juilliard School. After an illustrious career as one of the…
Mayor Brandon Scott
Brandon Scott has been Baltimore’s mayor since 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. He is the youngest mayor in the city’s history and the first to be re-elected in 20 years, the latter achievement likely owed in no small part…
Fred Kempe
A former journalist and editor at ‘The Wall Street Journal’, now president and CEO of The Atlantic Council, Fred Kempe’s life and career spans from the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall to the ongoing war…
Jason Isbell
Back in 2013, American singer and songwriter Jason Isbell released the album ‘Southeastern’, which tracked his life as an enthusiastic-if-reckless archetype of the dissolute southern rocker. It was an overwhelming critical…
Gherardo Felloni
Gherardo Felloni, creative director of Parisian luxury-accessories house Roger Vivier, joins Monocle’s associate editor Grace Charlton to discuss the brand’s spring-summer 2025 collection. Felloni tells us about his vision…
Alison Loehnis
Widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in fashion and retail, the ad interim CEO and president of the Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, Alison Loehnis, has been a leading force at the pioneering online retailer…
Karl Ove Knausgaard
More than a decade after reaching worldwide acclaim with his six-volume autobiographical novel ‘My Struggle’, the Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard has returned to the fictional form in ‘The Morning Star’ series. Knau…
Adrian Edmondson
British comedy veteran of ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Bottom’ fame Adrian Edmondson sits down with Andrew Mueller to talk about his memoir ‘Berserker!’, his often violent skits with late collaborator Rik Mayall and using humour…
James Comey
Former FBI director-turned-crime-fiction-author James Comey speaks with Andrew Mueller about his new novel, ‘Westport’, the dangers of a new Donald Trump presidency and whether he regrets reopening the Hillary Clinton…
Alison Jackson
Award-winning artist, photographer and filmmaker Alison Jackson sits down with Georgina Godwin to speak about her staged and satiric photographs of celebrity lookalikes, her time as a politician and her planned Donald Trump…
Ziya Tong
Science broadcaster and author Ziya Tong sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss her new documentary film, ‘Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics’, her stint as one of Canada’s top encyclopaedia salespeople…
