The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. Lucio Pozzi and Bradley Rubenstein reinterpret Mr. Proust’s concept for a new century.
Lucio Pozzi is an Italian-born, American artist currently based in Hudson, New York, and Valeggio sul Mincio, Verona, Italy. He studied architecture in Rome before moving to New York City in 1962. Pozzi is a painter whose painterly concerns extend to environmental art and actions. He teaches, writes, and lectures. His work is in the collections of the New Mexico Museum of Art; P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center; the Museum of Modern Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Art Gallery of Ontario; the New York Public Library; the Detroit Institute of Arts; Giuseppe Panza; the Fogg Art Museum; the Herbert and Dorothy Vogel Collection; and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Pozzi's awards include the National Endowment for the Arts.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I have no idea. Perfection is boring, but striving for it is great.
What is your greatest fear?
To be locked in definition.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Giordano Bruno.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Conformity.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Conformity.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Being myself.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Success
On what occasion do you lie?
I try not to lie because then I forget and get caught.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My chest
What is your greatest regret?
No regrets.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Five women.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Quick repartee.
What is your current state of mind?
Permanently tense.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having a curious view of life.
What is your most treasured possession?
Painting.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Lack of love.
Where would you like to live?
If I have a minimum of food and shelter, anywhere.
What is your favorite occupation?
Probing.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Openness.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Generosity.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Generosity.
What do you most value in your friends?
Trust.
What is it that you most dislike?
Hypocrisy and greed.
How would you like to die?
In my sleep.
What is your motto?
“Why not?”