Reading the work of a great poet like Anne Carson can be a doorway to connecting deeper to so many aspects of the world around us, life itself, our place in things. Sometimes poetry – often presented in bite-sized portions but carrying no less profundity for its diminutive size – is exactly what the soul needs. There is so much complexity around us every day, walling us off from our ancestral world among nature and our fellow species on the planet. Poetry can serve as a palatable reminder to open up, take a good look around, and think deeply.
Devon Reina talked with us about his show, Abscissa, on view at Uprise Art until March 15. The two-person show alongside Arielle Zamora draws its title from a mathematical term that refers to the exponent of a point and its distance from the y-axis measured parallel to the x-axis, fitting for the geometric, straight-lined works from both artists in the show. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Asad Raza joined us to discuss his recent video installation, Ge is for Gaia, which ran until March 2 at 3A Gallery in New York. The title originates in 2014, when Raza worked on a project in Athens, Greece for three months. On his off days each week, he visited various sites around the country, including Delphi, where he immediately sensed the power of the place. Long ago in Delphi, a deity called Ge was worshipped, a name that later evolved into Gaia, the goddess of earth. Raza’s ongoing video project explores land and waterscapes and their histories, contemplating the earth as a living system. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Are there poems or poets who have informed your journey?
Outings
Join me at David Zwirner Gallery for James Welling’s Thought Objects
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 member Julie Crews recently picked up With Darkness Came Stars: A Memoir by Audrey Flack.
Opportunities
In December 2023, the Decorative Arts Trust launched a publishing grant program to support diverse projects on American material culture. Two grant lines available. Visit the website for more information. Deadline is March 31.
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.