The Tao of Tao, Part 2

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And without further ado, part two of my two-part conversation with Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, this time around focusing on art, philosophy and the curious importance of Nirvana. Check out part one here.

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SEVEN DAYS: You said that you’re hesitant to call yourself an artist. Why is that?

TAO RODRIGUEZ-SEEGER: Well, because what we do is kinda commercial. And I guess I feel like art and commerciality don’t mix too well. I’m sure there is an inevitable co-existing that they have to do. Otherwise, how can we continue to do it? But it always makes me a little uncomfortable when people call us “artists.” “Commercial creators,” I prefer. Of course it’s not as graceful.

7D: [Laughing] No, that’s a bit of a mouthful.

TRS: People like to call us artists, and I guess that’s OK. I just don’t feel very comfortable calling myself an artist. There is artistry in it, for sure. But there is also artistry in motherhood. And cooking. And yoga. But would people call a mother an artist? Doubtful. But they should. The great mothers of our time have created the artists. So why aren’t they the artists? It’s a semantic quibble and I don’t argue it with people when it comes up. But I do think about it. “Is this really art?” “Is Michael Jackson truly an artist?” Or was he?

7D: I actually think he was.

TRS: So do I. I would have to say Michael Jackson actually was an artist. He brought commercial pop music to a really artistic level, at times. Not always. But when he did that first moonwalk on MTV, that was pretty rad, right?

7D: Sure, but was that art? He also forever revolutionized the way music videos were done and what they could be. I’d say that was pretty artful.

TRS: Yeah. And I would say Madonna was even more of artist than Michael Jackson, because she pushed people’s assumptions about women, sexuality. I guess that’s what it is. Art should make you think, and it should make you a little uncomfortable. Not really uncomfortable, maybe. But a little bit. Because without that level of discomfort, it’s harder to get the brain pushing in a new direction than it normally would. People are lazy and they don’t want to make leaps of faith. Sometimes it takes someone thinking outside the box and doing something a little weird to make people go, “Oh wow. I never thought of that. It makes me feel uncomfortable. But I think I like it.” So yeah there is an argument to be made for what we do as art, for sure. But I don’t think it’s safe to assume that all musicians are artists.

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