“Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” -Albert Camus
Stories are an integral part of the human experience. We use them to make sense of our own reality, to parse out the details that are too difficult or opaque to look at directly. Our fictions become almost as important as the world in which we live. We treasure stories, pass them down to the next generation and look to them for answers. Characters from fictions become icons to whom we turn in times of trouble for their wisdom.
Elise Tak is a painter turned digital painter who lives and works in Brooklyn. Her subjects are fictional “world famous” movie actors. Over her career she has created 10 characters. She uses 3-D and 4-D tools to painstakingly make each of her created characters look real. Tak has recently finished creating imagery and projection design for the play Paging Doctor Faustus. To hear more about her fascinating art and other projects, listen to the complete interview.
Mohamed Ben Soltane lives and works in Tunisia. He has an upcoming group show in New York titled Occupational Hazard at Apex Art. For this show Soltane created a triptych mosaic that expresses aspects of the history of art in Tunisia. The work itself is three versions of a signature. To hear more about this piece as well as Mohamed Ben Soltane’s other projects including the residency program he co-founded, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Never underestimate the power fiction has to heal reality.
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. Elise Tak references Moment of Clarity by Lee Camp. For a rainy day, Winnie the Pooh – the Complete Collection narrated by Alan Bennett is a delightful listen and comes highly recommended by an 8-year-old closely connected to Praxis.
Artists over the age of 16 from around the world are invited to submit digital images of their figurative or representational work to The Moth Art Prize 2019. Selected artist receives $1,000 euros and a two week stay at The Moth Retreat in rural Ireland. The winning artist is not expected to produce a body of work during their stay at The Moth Retreat, the purpose is for relaxation and rejuvenation. There is a 20 euro fee for portfolio entry. For complete details and to submit, visit the website. Deadline is May 31.
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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 the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.
Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.
Golden Artist Colors began publishing the Just Paint newsletter in 1989, a source for information about painting techniques, product information, and the latest research in art materials. Now online, JustPaint.org has become one of the most exhaustive resources for technical information in fine art. With the new Just Paint Experience, GOLDEN is expanding the concept to provide artists with quick-reading, studio-oriented content to help bring their visions to life.
When you subscribe to Just Paint Experience (free), you’ll receive access to exclusive content. GOLDEN will also notify you whenever there is new content added to the site.