Artist Interviews 2021

Camille Waldorf  
By Johnny Otto


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Camille, you have a style of painting that is very unique and, to me, has always stood out from other Artists who create portraits of people. They are almost unearthly, a little unsettling, expressionistic and somewhat harsh. They remind of other German painters such as Otto Dix, Max Beckmann and George Grosz. Are you inspired by the German Expressionist painters or who would you say are your greatest influences?

Thank you for the compliment, but I have not heard of those painters before. I will definitely Give them a look as I may had come across them during my studies over my seven years during college. I actually was told by my uncle Bill who is a sculpture in N.Y. as a young child not to look at any art for as long as possible so I can develop my own world and style. After my first solo show at 13 years old and my first year in college my teachers kept telling me my work looked exactly like some existing painters. After I completed my A.A and several years later, I then transferred to the Art Institute of San Fransisco to continue my studies. I was confronted again with the same issue of not wanting to look at other artist work, but my teacher was at a loss. So he had said it could be beneficial to see what you would do with that information, or you could get stuck under someone else’s style or technic intended or not. This really got under my skin so I decided to study each technic I could find to then smash them up and see what would come though. I didn’t just stop with painting styles I was very fascinated with my acting studies and ballet professional modern, & ballet art forms. As its shown how Jackson Pollack’s energy became the splashes of the energy of his style and identity of his work. What would happen if I added movement and emotion as I worked? I wanted to know what I down know? Like a scientist I wanted to tap into the science of what real and what’s undiscovered. I believe I came up with this from my grandfather Harry Eugene “Gene” Waldorf who was a German a physicist professor, who worked on the Manhattan Project. My fatherGary Waldorf, who was a corporate psychologist he worked with Apple, Intuit, and Hewlett as in the 80’s- 90’s. Those are the German artiest who I learned from, the ones who brought me to this earth to continue this work. I took on the responsibility to learn technical aspects like a physicist working in fact, & works as a theoretical physicist, but with the application of art, art history, & as an artist. It’s still a process I can learn and discover what I can learn & I don’t know. To see more of what I can’ might say more than if I just thought of the idea. I am part German but I am a wondering child from heaven just carving out my own since of truth while I am here.





A few years ago one of your paintings of Jimi Hendrix was stolen. Did you ever recover it and how did that make you feel as an Artist to have one of your pieces vanish, maybe forever? Is it like a child being taken?

No I never recovered the painting. The gallery curator took my police report and said there was no money to be recovered. Little did he realize that the people putting on L.A. Fashion week happened to be personal friends of mine. As I held an investigation I found out the gallery owner did recover the insurance money behind my back and stole the money form me. I got my lawyer involved and he only paid me half as if it was a sale not the payment of the painting as it was stolen. Due to his behavior telling me he was obsessed with a movie I was currently acting in called “ Scumbag”, & trying to get a fine art painter from the film in this show. It became ver suspicious at to why he was telling me this. Though the night at L.A. fashion week at the Mc Arther building the gallery owner kept coming up to me saying buyers were inserted, & how much was each painting I kept asking him who are the buyers and have them come speak with me. He never presented them though the evening, & then before I left I had a weird feeling. I went to check on the paintings around 11pm and 3 of them were all moved off the blue velvet boxes, and the Jimi Hendrix was not only moved but out behind the box its self. I knew someone had bad intentions. Then the next day the gallery owner didn’t even call me until 6 pm to tell me it was stolen when it was reported later that evening by a cleaning lady that it had been stolen. Personally it seams really clear the gallery owner stole it and I hope that if anyone sees it they report it so whom ever did steel it is locked up & can spend some time in jail. Theft is theft! How does it feel? It’s the most disgusting, violating, pathetic, desperate, hungry, thing you can do to an artist who spent there life to be able to crate the work. My family paid 20 grand a semester for 4 years. It took me 20 years to gain the skills to crate to be able to make the work I make now with are a one of a kind in the world. Not some digital replica of a fake elm of creation! I came from my body, my mind, my pain, my joy, my truth. For those who have handled themselves offering this as the best they can do In forgive but won’t forget! They chose to do this to another living soul in this life, whom has suffered grate loss to believe in herself and find her won gifts to keep on living. Art is my way of healing and servicing dramatic experiences from other humans. I do art for myself to give to myself, & to the world to show you can take back what others try to brake in you. People choose darkness, hate, jealousy, the cycle of pain, & abuse. I choose the light and to keep learning and shinning truth and compassion. Contiously, & actively trying to kill anthers hard work, gifts, will, & spirit only speaks volumes about who they are not what I am. They have to live in their body, mind, and soul, because that is your legacy and the karma the leave behind not mine. The ultimate punishment is they live in their body and have to look at their face in the mirror. Hate would only hurt me and make me sick I have no room for it personally. I learn and will keep moving forward. I don’t seek revenge I won’t become like them and that is my victory. Anyone who lies, steels, and cheats, ultimately hurt themself by doing this to any hard working good people. Let god, & karma sorted them out, because Im not in the art or business of revenge. I do believe in Karma so I know she is good at her job! I know because Like when I singed my book deal with Over The Edge Books. I worked for 2 years on the entire book alone no pay up front like a good hard worker I am. Only to get the product back with repeated and blurred images through the book. I brought it up and was dropped from my contract as they are illegally still selling my book on Amazon, and on their sight. I work for 2 years no money up front on a book on 20 years of my life work in multiple carriers that made up my painting subjects. The owner lied to my face about all the things he would do, stole money, and is illegally selling it still. I am pursuing action but it’s unbelievable what people do and will do to you. This was a time I had just had back surgery and was on my back fora solid year and crippled with terminate nerve damage in my legs and technically disabled. He took advantage of a crippled female artist! Wow… Pay attention kids….





In addition to being a Painter, you are also a Singer. Which came first, your love of music or your love of painting? How would you describe your music?

I have seen pictures of me as a baby drumming on pumpkins as I was told it was why I was put into piano lessons before I can remember as we had one I our house growing up. I did however make my way to chime, choir, violin, flute, marimba, & drum lessons by the ages of four and up. I had an obsession with Walt Disney as many children Im sure did. I used to sit in my room playing the records and looking thought the picture books with a telephone next to me pretending I was in production as the next Walt Disney. I told my mother I had to study each art form so I would know how to take over his job. Cute..right lol. My mother had found a local drum teacher Emil Farland, who was blind. He taught me drums, piano, marimbas, hanging chimes, and basic composure theory. He would ask me, “ Do you remember your dreams”? In fact I had incredible vivid dreams I could remember every element of. I said, “Yes I do”. Emile then went on to tell me “ In your dreams there is a begging, middle and end. You dream has a story with colors, actions, sounds. Things that all your senses can explain if told in a story. Right”? He looked to me to confirm that I understood. I nodded yes. I will never forget this day sitting on the piano bench. He then said, “ Now if you can find the sounds to match and tell that story with a begging, middle, and end . Then that’s all you need to compose a song. Now we all know there are allot more things that composure consists of but as a 4-6 year old I go it. It was like he was unlocking the information I wanted so desperately to understand so I could express what I was experiencing in my dears, life, & my imagination. I believe this was the start to my polyamerious mind developing. I thing drawing dragons, and horse from my imagination were some of the first things I drew. I honestly can’t remember what came first because I was always doing them from as long as I can remember and driven and supported to use them together and keep developing them separately. I still feel like I am just beginning as an artist.





As a female Artist I know that life can be pretty brutal. Luckily things are changing a bit but can you share some of the more tumultuous experiences you’ve had with Gallerists or other Artists and how are things changing, if at all?

Well sending 4,000 dollars shipping my art to N.Y. for a signed deal with a SOHO gallery to be taken on for a lifetime representation, & private collectors. Sounds to good to be true as a respected accomplished female Artist! Yes it was! Only to find out that the reality of this lie & scam would result in trying to silence me and threaten to sue for my truth that I was lied to and sexually harassed on the phone levering my carrier over his dick! Well he never met Camille Waldorf did he! A powerful independent woman who would never sell herself to get ahead. This is business not a war on my body and soul! I didn’t work 10 years to be on a U.S.A team in my body and power, and in the dance world for some one to brake me like some Barrie. You may end up getting a brishnakov round house kick to you artistic wannabe egotistic swine of a soul to ever think you will cut any deserving female artist lower than respectfully earned. Id rather lose all my money and take my work bask then let your G. B. billshit trip be anywhere near the legacy of my story that’s my own. Alone and my own! That what time it is Im not here to be Mrs see too. You want to talk war well Im a Tripple Aries and I believe it sates were gods or war. So by nature he stepped in his own shit and got nothing but a mouth full of sitting in his own! I could give a dam about flicking my hear and head in there air and acting like Im so special knowing Id ever be touched or have to touch that crawl of a man. Since when on this dam earth was it that we as artist live to allow entitles gallery scum to bully our voices into submission. Well mine never and don’t forget it! You have not heard the last of me and this is only the beginning! The gallery owner G.B. Bullshit as Ill refer him. Told me to ship my work to the gallery and the work will be shown. After being contacted by his assistant who asked to paint over my work saying he was “Fixing it”. Can go sit on a billboard paint brush and she it! I use drips in my work its called a fucking technic, and how dare you approach any artist with out asking their process anyway!!! It’s part of my technical process and how uneducated and insulting for any person working at a gallery to think they have the right to assume or the audacity and ego that they need to fix anything but their head loose on there neck! to kept telling me the work had been shown with was why I spent thousands shipping them to his gallery in N.Y. SoHo. Who makes artist pay for there shipping if there truly established and finically successful anyway! , but never was. I flew out there to meet the owner and pad for my hotel and trip for a final expectance. Then blown off for him to keep trying to meet up with me privately, only to then be told on the phone “ People keep asking me why Im reaping your work? They keep asking me if were fucking”? Um, yeah Im not stupid and know when someone is fishing for an answer. Thats called sexual harassment! I was appalled and called him out on it and said how dare you ask repeat such gossip as you singed me because you were blown away with my work and wanted to make allot of money and support my carrier and respect me a an Artist and woman. Clearly as I found out all the women he had been doing this to I got my work back and threaten to sue! First of all I was lied to and paid for it and was sexually harassed. I find that people are full of Shit!!! Its one of the most unregulated industries full or allot of drugs, abuse, lies, and just plain bullshit. You like the work buy it! I know what its worth Iv been around long enough! I am sick of liars, theirs, cons, and non believers to crush you as though anyone has the authority or power. SoI have my own online gallery starting Called Waldorf Ink. @Waldorfink on Instagram. Look Im not a whore, a prostitute, I am not destprate! Its simple I make a one of a kind product you like it you buy it or a print! Thats it! I just don’t believe or trust anyone to represent me anymore! You offer better be exact or get out of my face! I have a no bullshit bullshit policy! I don’t pay be an artist!!!! I had lawyers, Im insured and I track all my work! So don’t fuck with me!





Are there any other Artists that you’d like to collaborate with or celebrities that you’d like to paint? 

As far as painting I only collaborate with my higher power it’s the only energy that I trust. It’s my time with god so interacting with humans becomes a conflict of interest. As far as people to paint I love painting people and artist whom I love and encounter as that is also gods way of brings me to and from those subjects so I say wide open. I find mortals don’t listen or respect the presence of one another and are inflamed withe ago, & self obsession. Painting for me is to give and to release energy to learn more about what I don’t know and love. I am not trying to replace, or be anyone special I just do what I do. But hell over hight water anyone try to steel from me again. I doing have a grate respect for artist and the work out there but I thing it takes so much out of each one of us that its hard to go inside each other persons every and untangle ones self. I never say never but this culture of followers, self obsession, and fame repulses me. It’s like a phycological disease growing. If you notice I have like 700 something followers I could care less. I will continue to be anti anything that wants everything to be all about me. What we touch and translate is already you DNA transfer of energy I don’t need to rub myself in the worlds face for everyones approval and proof I matter of mean something or am the best or better than you. If I felt like a person truly wanted to collaborate I wouldn’t say no out of kindness but Im not going out of my way for it. In fact the I am working on making sure that only museums can own or posses any of my work after Im dead. If you don’t buy the work now while Im alive you will never get the chance when Im gone. Im making sure of it with copywrites and my lawyers.





With the art world being spun upside down by Covid, how are you approaching the idea of marketing or creating an audience when it’s difficult to have shows?

I do not care or plan to show anything! People are full of shit and I have zero interest of anyone liking me or wanting buy my work. I plan to lock myself away in a new studio this year to produce a ton of new work. I’ll make sure it’s so expensive no one can buy it. That way I’ll just be at peace & will just bask in the gratitude alone with god. Humans need allot of work and Im retired at the moment form dealing or trusting anything any one says. Prove it or keep move on!



If music and art weren’t a part of your like, what other things can you see yourself doing? 

I would most Likly work in the CIA, Invent technology like I secretly write and create, enforce laws and run the government!





How do you feel after doing this interview”?

Well I started feeling really sick and then ran to the bathroom and just threw up! I feel sick, but after leaning the puke out of my toilet, and brushing my teeth. I'm ready to kick some serious ass this year. As an Aries I believe we are the god of war, & I am a Tripple Aries so I am listening, watching, and waiting paicenlty to respond creatively. Starting with my new song and music video I have produced coming out soon. Thank you Johnny for all you love and support and I am grateful for all the good and bad it helps me learn & understand what my work is while I am here.






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