“People who get up early in the morning cause war, death and famine.” -Banksy
Reflecting on the larger picture from the warmth of our own secure place in the world is imperative for a compassionate society. We may find ourselves with an abundance, believe this is the truth for many or most, and yet it takes just a glance around, a solid reckoning with the truth to understand that this is not reality for ever so many. We mustn’t let this lead us to despair, rather it can spur us to action, finding ways to turn our own comfort into enough for another who may be struggling.
Jeff Gibson sat down to discuss his recent show, Indensity, at Theodore Gallery, which ran until October 15. The title primarily speaks to the orchestration of intensity from a density of imagery. The show was comprised of 20 panels, works that Gibson began just before the pandemic and that have grown to a series of 87 to date. Each work is a coalescence of high and low, old and new, analog and digital material making up its own little world. horror, science fiction, surrealism, photo-realism, classical painting, abstraction and whatever else he might be thinking of. To hear more about this series, listen to the complete interview.
Gracelee Lawrence discussed her exhibition, Marisol, which ran until October 22 at Heroes Gallery. The show is somewhat non-traditional in that it is a dialogue between two artists, Gracelee herself and María Sol Escobar (1930-2016), also known as Marisol. It was primarily Sol Escobar’s carved wood sculpture that spoke to Gracelee for the show, but these were difficult to acquire these. Instead, the gallery was able to borrow a series of lithograph prints that they borrowed for the exhibition. To hear more about this show and how Sol Escobar’s work influences Gracelee, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket
Let compassion for all be your guide.
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 is here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Jeff Gibson recently read Faith, Hope and Carnage by Nick Cave and Sean O’Hagan. Gracelee Lawrence frequently goes back to The Edible Series by Reaktion Press.
Deadlines:
Læsø AiR invites applications for residency in Denmark. This program for professional visual artists offers the opportunity for development of practice and promoting of exchange between Danish and foreign artists and the Danish art scene. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is December 1.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.