“Nothing can be truly replicated. Not a love, not a jewel, not a single line.”
-Patti Smith, M Train
While some things can be copied with remarkable precision, their true essence cannot. A love may be remembered, retold, or even rediscovered, but it is never the same love twice. A jewel may be recut or recreated, but it will never carry the identical history of light, touch, and time. Even a single line of writing exists only in the moment it was conceived, shaped by a unique combination of thought, feeling, and circumstance. Originality is not simply a matter of appearance, rather it is the unrepeatable convergence of experience that gives every creation, every relationship, and every expression its singular value.
Shaun Leonardo spoke to us about his show The Invisible Man, running until August 7 at Christine Tierney Gallery. The title is drawn from the book of the same name as a way to encompass 20 years of work in this survey show. Some works are in direct reference to lines and chapters from the book, while a major throughline is the experience of invisibility as a person of color in the U.S. and the notion that, due to stereotype, there is a subjective version that precedes all people of color into a room. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Paco Barragán joined us from Spain in 2022. We spoke with the curator, writer, and critic about his book, his curatorial practice, and the evolving role of the curator. He reflected on the shift from the “total curator”—simultaneously narrator, mythologist, and exhibition designer—to today’s curator as storyteller. Barragán also shared why he believes the traditional “white cube” exhibition model has reached its end. Revisit the full interview to hear his insights on the changing landscape of contemporary curating.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Authenticity remains more enduring than imitation.
Outings.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read.
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user James Dean Kirlik is reading Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans, by Kenneth Womack
Opportunities.
Oolite Arts’ Home + Away Residency offers paid, multi-week residencies with studio time, professional networking, and community building at partner institutions including Bag Factory, Artpace San Antonio, and MASS MoCA. Visit the website for more info. Deadline is July 31.