“I am what I am. We are what we are.” – Marcia Tucker, A Short Life of Trouble
Acceptance is a key part of existence. Whether that means accepting ourselves, others, our fate, whatever it may be, there is no way to achieve a good life if we refuse to lean into the realities of it. With that said, there is much in life we must have the courage not to accept. Too often, we shrug and turn away when in fact, we should be standing up to fight. Marica Tucker knew this, and she recounts her story in the powerful memoir quoted above. While we must accept certain immovable realities, we absolutely mustn’t, shouldn’t sit quietly by when there is meaningful change to be made.
Martin Bodilsen Kaldahl talked to us about his show at HB381 Gallery, Probing the Floor, Sniffing the Air, which runs until June 17. The title of this ceramics exhibition playfully refers to the pieces themselves, which are always connected with the ground while reaching into the air, almost giving the impression that they could continue beyond their apparent physical boundaries. Of course, this also relates to all of us as we move around on the surface of the planet while existing in space. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.
George Widener is currently exhibiting a show, Tip of the Iceberg, at Andrew Edlin Gallery through June 30. Years back, he began making lists as a way to calm himself. During this time, he was working odd jobs and scraping by after discharge from the military. He had begun drawing by this time, and in some of his work, including our cover image this week, Self Portrait, he combined this with list-making. To learn more about Widener’s life and work, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Know when to accept, but also know when to speak up.
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. Nicholas Hatfull recommends Death by Landscape by Elvia Wilk.
Deadlines:
The Vilcek Foundation invites “young, immigrant designers who demonstrate outstanding early achievement” to apply for unrestricted cash prize money of $50,000 to each winner. Applicants will have been born outside the U.S. to non-American parents. Other eligibility requirements apply. For more information and to submit your application, visit the website. Deadline is June 12.
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.