“It occurred to me… I ought to treat Antarctica not as a desolate outpost at the end of the earth but as a place where life begins.” -Elizabeth Rush, The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth
Unprecedented. This word, and all it encompasses, seems to crop up in our media and vernacular more than ever these days. What are the implications of the apparently unprecedented times in which we are living? What does it mean to have just endured the hottest year on record since the beginning of human history? And what does it mean to witness the continual flooding of communities, the destruction increasing exponentially as we teeter at the edge of the point of no return? How does the knowledge of what is surely to come affect you and your art?
Alexander Ross joined us to discuss his show, which is running through February 4 at Miles McEnery Gallery. Ambiguity is a prevalent theme in his work, which occasionally will hover around being figurative but, for the most part, remains abstract and can be interpreted in many ways. To learn more about this show and other aspects of Ross’s work, listen to the complete interview.
Loren Erdrich chatted with us about her paintings on view at Massey Klein until February 3. The works are part of a group show titled Kids Without the Internet. Klein says there is something particularly analog about this show, speaking perhaps to the last generation of kids who grew up without the internet. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Outings
Join me at the New Museum in NYC for a Judy Chicago retrospective
A few words to keep in your pocket
As a community of creatives, we have much to contribute to the conversation. What might we contribute now, as we bear witness to the results of unbridled human advancement on our fragile ecosystem?
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.
More books to read
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re into these days by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Beatriz is reading Prequel: An American Fight Against Facism by Rachel Maddow.
South Arts offers Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grants to support milestone opportunities in artists’ careers, aiming to overcome financial barriers. Grants of up to $2,000 are available for proposed or completed opportunities between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Recipients can still apply for other South Arts funding. The organization prioritizes diversity and encourages applications from artists with disabilities, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Application deadline is February 9.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics and is currently faculty at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World. He also has a new book coming out in the Spring of 2024, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, which is available for preorder.