JOEL   MEYEROWITZ

FIRST, congratulations on your 80th birthday. How do you feel about it?

It’s been gratifying for me reaching 80 and not feeling what I thought 80 must feel like. I’m at that time of my life when working is fun. It always has been, but there’s something about now, at this age, that makes me feel I can do whatever I want. My sense of play and energy feels really good, and living here in Tuscany, where my wife and I have lived for four years, is rewarding and inspiring. It’s a very productive, positive time.

In your youth, was art and drawing your main interest?

As a little kid, I drew cartoons and airplanes and all the stuff from the comic books. My father could render and draw in a classical way. It always fascinated me to watch him make something appear on paper out of thin air, or model things with clay or even snow. So drawing was just