Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder is cult film director and artist John Water’s latest book, out May 21. From the self-proclaimed “pope of trash,” here’s five things we learned:
1. You should never just read for ‘enjoyment.’ Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends’ insane behavior; or better yet, your own.
2. The way to build a great art collection is not to have a lot of money and buy established artists; it’s to go to all the galleries once a month and find a brand-new artist you like in a gallery whose stable seems to be up your alley. Go back to the artist’s second show and buy something for around $5,000.
3. Discipline is not anal compulsion; it’s a lifestyle that breeds power.
4. You don’t need fashion designers when you are young. Have faith in your own bad taste. Buy the cheapest thing in your local thrift shop — the clothes that are freshly out of style with even the hippest people a few years older than you.
5. I’d love to sell out completely. It’s just that nobody has been willing to buy.
Text by Nadja Sayej
Images via biography.com
