How is the art scene in NYC at the moment?

MDV - That's more question than I can answer here. The scene is good. The scene is hot. The scene is huge. The scene blows. I don't know how the scene is.

What about the Downtown scene? There are a lot of things hyped up at the moment (streetwear, parties, music artists). Do you have any connections?

MDV - I don't do much of that stuff anymore. I go to openings, but usually only if a friend is showing. I don't go to hear bands, although we've got Van Halen tickets for next month at Madison Square Garden. The big party is Art Basel Miami Beach. I go down there and get my fill of the parties and clubs once a year.

How do you feel about the ongoing art boom? Nowadays it`s fashionable to go to opening receptions and show off even if you don`t care about art at all. Art Basel especially Art Basel Miami seems to be only about parties and networking. How do you see that?

MDV - Critics will say there's been a decline in quality because of the boom, and that it becomes more about the money than the art, but as an artist I can't complain about more people paying attention and paying cash. It's hard out here for a pimp!

Art fairs a supposed to be about money and parties and networking. They're really not "the new biennials" even though they're sometimes called that. If you want to see art, go to a museum. Collectors go to art fairs to buy, dealers to sell, artists to party.

Jonathan Levine? Tell us about him and his gallery...

MDV - Jonathan's a cool guy, also known as the Electric Gizmo back inna day. He believes strongly in the 80/20 theory of time management. He works hard, lives in and loves Jersey, and talks a blue streak. Summers in Ocean Grove. He's good to work with, runs a very professional gallery. He's got great instincts and strong opinions. He's an Ivan Karp for the 21st Century.

Let`s talk about your upcoming solo show at MILIEU Galerie / Artspace... What is the concept? What can people expect? How did this show come together?

MDV - Concept? We don't need no stinking concept!

Actually, timing is everything. I started on the Milieu show right after a long and somewhat exhausting half-year pulling together my show for Jonathan. That show was airtight in a way- everything was pre-designed to fit the installation, so there wasn't much room to maneuver once I started painting. When I started working for Milieu, I wanted the freedom to change direction at any time, to play around with colors, and not worry about how everything was going to fit together. I think the new paintings convey that sense of freedom and spontaneity.

Thank you very much for your time Mark!