Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Finite

“Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

It is often said, but perhaps not as often believed, we only get one life. And it is brief on the scale of things. Why, then, would we spend it avoiding those things that bring us the most joy just because we are not sure whether we will succeed or are afraid of how others might perceive us if we do them? There simply isn’t time for that. Begin believing that this one life is all you are allotted and act accordingly. Do the things that may scare you a little, do the ones that make you feel fully alive. Do them today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life.

Ezra Johnson joined us from London to discuss, among other things, his show, which ran through July 30 at Freight and Volume. The starting point for his paintings in the show was infinity rooms, something that came to him when he attended a Yayoi Kusama infinity mirror room show. Johnson approached the challenge of making the spaces in his paintings, which lack horizon and other visual anchor points, with great enthusiasm as well as practical thinking about how a space would repeat over and over again. Of the many things he had to consider was the notion of what flips in each iteration of the room. To hear more about this, listen to the complete interview.

Meghann Riepenhoff joined us in early August from Bainbridge Island in Washington State where she travelled for her partner’s work several years ago. At the time, she was based in San Fransisco with a smaller studio. Riepenhoff realized that she could realize a much larger studio space on the island allowing her to create larger work. An artist who uses photography, Riepenhoff says the island has been transformative in her work. Most recently she has been collaborating with the forest, working with mushrooms and fungal growth. Her work will be on view until October 22 at Yossi Milo Gallery. To hear more about this, her collaboration with ice, falling water, her work with cyanotype and more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket

Stop waiting.

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. Ezra Johnson recently reread Matisse the Master by Hilary Spurling. Meaghann Riepenhoff’s Ice can be found here.

Deadlines:

Arte Laguna Prize is open for submissions. Described as “the world’s most influential competition for artists and designers,” Arte Laguna has a 17-year history of showcasing and promoting creative talent. For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is September 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.

 

Photo credit Sean Horton Gallery

 

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