“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” -Anthony Bourdain
Our bodies are the ultimate boundary. Whether we are keeping others out or inviting them in, the body is a sanctuary from which we experience the world around us. There are those who curate the body carefully, paying careful attention to what fuels this vessel. Others are more haphazard, choosing to indulge in the moment rather than dwell on what may – or may not – lie ahead. These choices are objective ones. Neither is more correct and the truth lies, as is so often the case in all things, along a spectrum of possibility.
Jennifer Ling Datchuk lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. In March, she competed a residency and exhibition at Artpace in San Antonio. The exhibition consisted of a large installation of fake red hair and porcelain beads. The work was intended to examine the thresholds we cross – whether women crossing into all-male spaces or persons of color crossing into all-white spaces. She also recently finished a project at Women & Their Work in Austin, Texas, a 40-year-old nonprofit. This work, titled Truth Before Flowers, examined the common narrative taught to all women and the objects of girlhood and womanhood that go along with them. She is now working on a piece titled The Fulfillment Center, based on her familiarity with warehouse stores that draw goods from China. To hear more about her exhibitions, practice and residency, listen to the complete interview.
Daniel Maidman lives and works in New York City. A few years back he realized he had achieved his goals as pertaining to figurative painting and felt the need to seek new horizons. Recently he found a way forward through paintings for an upcoming show using only Titanium White and Portland Warm Gray. With this combination of paints he discovered that he has the patience and interest to conceptualize a whole image and paint the whole thing. He has recently completed a 48 x 60 inch painting that was mostly forest, finding he had the patience and drive to paint mostly trees for the duration of the work. He will be exhibiting the fruits of this newfound in the fall. To hear more about Daniel Maidman’s exploration of his newfound monochromatic palette, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Whether your body is a place of quiet purity or raucous enthusiasm, your choice is the correct one.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Jennifer Ling Datchuk is reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. Daniel Maidman is reading Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson.
Kai Art Center in Tallinn, Estonia invites artists to apply for its inaugural residency period. Residency lasts from two to four weeks and participating artists are invited to indulge in all of Kai Art Center’s activities and resources. This nascent art center will host several exhibitions per year and is located in the Nobelessner area of the city, known for its cultural vibrancy. All costs, including travel to and from Tallinn, will be covered by Kai Art Center. For full details and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is August 1.
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.