Nick Treadwell is a gallerist/artist agent who is wont to dress up in a nurse’s outfit and sing in a very high voice. He also has an insatiable penchant for pink. We applaud his gusto.

WHO ARE YOU?

Nicholas Treadwell

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

78

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Vienna, Austria

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I am a Gallery Proprietor and Artist Agent and I have an Art Collection. I am also an occasional entertainer. I like people and particularly to make them laugh, so I do my best to bring entertainment into all parts of my day to day life. I have just moved from the Austrian countryside to the heart of Vienna and am at this time in the process of renovating an old shop and flat which I shall be opening as my new gallery in September 2015. I already live in the flat. As you will understand, I have too much to do, but fortunately I love what I do.

TELL US WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE YOUR AGE?

I am very relaxed about my age…naturally nothing works quite as well as it did in former times, but I exercise and keep fit one way or another. My way of life gives me a lot of pleasure, so I have no problem getting up in the morning. I don’t worry if I do not get much sleep…it never makes any difference to the way I feel. Despite the state of the world, I remain an optimist, hoping for a better future for everyone.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T HAVE AT 25?

At 25 I started out in the art business without knowing anything whatsoever about art…and I am still having a roller-coaster life of experience, and those highs and lows have left me fulfilled and at peace with myself…of course, starting out again on the new Vienna Gallery project means I still have concerns regarding money, but nowadays, after all those past financial crises, I am a world expert at dealing with money problems and take them in my stride.

WHAT ABOUT SEX?

 I have just moved back into the big bad city, after 15 years of living in the deep countryside, so recently sex has been sparse to say the least of it. My urologist always offers me the latest form of Viagra or whatever when I go for my prostate check-up, but several boxes remain unopened in the drawer of my bedside table. I am optimistic for my forth-coming(?) big city sex life, although I may need a workshop before getting going again…

AND RELATIONSHIPS?

 Again I am optimistic about new relationships, although I always keep in mind that wise old saying…”There’s no fool like an old fool!” if I catch myself pathetically flirting with a woman young enough to be my grand daughter.  However, I am hopeful that waiting round the next corner will be “The woman of my dreams…?” I suppose if you are going to have a relationship, you have to be prepared to take risks…but I do hope that I shall never again have to say those words…”We have to talk…”

HOW FREE DO YOU FEEL?

On the one hand, not having a relationship, means that I am virtually free to do what I like at all times of the day and night…On the other hand, people tell me I am married to my art business, which I have been running literally daily for fifty three years…How free is that??? However, you could say that I have been doing exactly what I like for all that time…That’s freedom, isn’t it!!?  …this reads like I am trying to convince myself as to how free I feel…

WHAT ARE YOU PROUD OF?

I am proud of the unique way I have managed to keep going in this crazy art business, without making decisions for financial reasons… continuing to take risks, on the basis of having asked myself “What have i got to lose? I am proud of the pleasure, education, stimulation and provocation that I, my gallery, it’s artists, performers and musicians have given to so many people over so many years…and continue to do so…and next year I am 80…

WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED?

 The creativity of others keeps me inspired…When I see great art by artists with whom I have worked for years, or I discovered last week, I want to tell the world about them and their amazing creativity. The opening exhibition at my Vienna gallery will be a theme show celebrating the inspirational art of Hieronymus Bosch, who died 500 years ago…I have asked 25 artist to contribute to this exhibition…I want to see this exhibition myself…it will be inspiring, and not just to me.

WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST?

I write songs and perform them myself with a piano player…I am very happy doing this…I am trying to teach myself tap dancing, I am very happy doing this…the whole world is a stage and I love to play on it…

AND WHERE DOES YOUR CREATIVITY GO?

 After I had finished my book, and delivered it to my agent… he, who had worked in publishing for most of his 55 year life, told me I write beautifully…I didn’t know that…I do enjoy writing, to fill a blank page with words I believe others will want to read is most satisfying…

WHAT’S YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LIVING?

I wear and promote the colour pink in much of what I do in life. I also dye my hair pink. I follow the pink philosophy, which I see as Peace, Love and Laughter…My current truck has these words written on it’s sides. Wearing pink, strangers talk to me, smile at me, and know i shall not be aggressive…it is such a friendly colour.

AND DYING?

Of course none of us want to die slowly, but if I die tomorrow it is fine with me…I have had such a great life, and I am still loving it…I find death a very entertaining subject and have used it in a lot of songs and performance…Would you believe I owned 3 coffins until I moved last month…I have just kept one. My last CD was called “Not Dead Yet”

ARE YOU STILL DREAMING?

I see myself as living my dreams, so “No!” But if you mean when I sleep, the answer is “Yes!”  I have been dreaming a lot about relationships recently and a couple of nights ago, I dreamed of the experience of an incredibly vivid Kiss…What does that mean, I wonder?

WHAT WAS A RECENT OUTRAGEOUS ACTION OF YOURS?

You see I never see myself as being outrageous…I see myself as very, very normal. When I tell people this, they burst into fits of laughter. I mean, sometimes when I am giving children a guided tour of my gallery, I ask them if they have any questions…they often ask..”Why have you got Pink hair?” I say…”My choice is Pink or grey, what would you choose?” and they all give me the same answer, which is the normal one, of course…

Photo by Danni Hofmann.