“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer
We find ourselves at a crossroads in time, aware that there is peril ahead and that we must take steps in order to prevent that peril from growing even further, and yet those who make decisions fail to grasp the urgency of this moment it would seem. What can we do as individuals to heal and reverse the damage we have done when the system of destruction writ large is untethered, when those with the money and the power are permitted to do as they wish to retain and build more power and more money?
Claire Lehmann spoke to us in early June of 2022 when she was beginning a new group of paintings. At the time, her studio was a bit bare following a recent show. She was in the research phase of her process, sifting through sources and feeling what resonates and beginning the generation process. Lehmann is always attempting to reach the central themes of her work, bringing together images from various sources to induce a sense of recognition or familiarity for the viewer. To hear more about her work and process, listen to the complete interview.
Heidi Hahn joined us following the end of a recent show at Kohn Gallery titled Soft Joy. The title spoke to the idea that joy – a dramatic feeling of happiness that happens perhaps a few times in one’s life – can also be a smaller everyday feeling. The show featured paintings of women and explores the idea of gaze and feelings in materiality. To hear more about Soft Joy and other aspects of Hahn’s work, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket
Speak up for your home – make noise for the only planet we have to sustain us. Do not be quiet until everybody has heard you.
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. Praxis user Amy Spitzer is reading Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by Ted Orland and David Bayles. Praxis user Debra is reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s wonderful book Braiding Sweetgrass.
Deadlines:
The Circ Artist Grant is accepting applications from emerging, mid-career and professional artists. This international open call happens multiple times each year and two artists per cycle are awarded grands of $550 each. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadine for this cycle is July 20.
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.