Artist Charles Garabedian is known for his exploration of Greek and Chinese symbolism, and the relationship between painting, drawing, and sculpture. He was nearly 40 when he began showing his work. Before participating in a discussion about whether artistic greatness only comes with age, he talks about how he likes his eggs, his favorite place to eat in Los Angeles, and what is hanging on his living room walls.
What word or phrase do you use most often?
“What?” I say, “What?” And it’s usually to my wife.
What was the last thing that made you laugh?
I know I laugh a lot, but I don’t remember specifically which thing it was about.
What’s changed most about Los Angeles since you moved here?
The streets, the fields, the number of people, the skies.
How do you like your eggs?
Over easy.
What’s hanging on your living room walls?
I’ve got a dragon that I painted on wood. And a nude male figure, not too-well-drawn, covering up his private parts.
What artist’s work do you find to be most overrated?
Renoir.
What’s your favorite place to eat in Los Angeles?
There’s a little Indian restaurant on Pico Boulevard called India Sweet House.
What are you keeping in your garage that you should have thrown out already?
It’s not very crowded. I don’t know.
What’s your favorite plant or flower?
I hate to say it, but I think it’s a rose.
What dessert do you find impossible to resist?
Some sort of a cooked cherry thing.