“It is better to live in a state of impermanence than in one of finality.”
-Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space
The spaces where we live our lives possess a sacredness to which we may not always be attuned, and yet we are aware in some deep level of our consciousness of the divine energy that resonates from every room, hallway, armoire, corner, and nook. The map of our existence is drawn on these spaces, reflected back to us as we move through them day in and day out. I am particularly aware of this as I turn through the pages of Gaston Bachelard’s pivotal work, The Poetics of Space, and it reminds me to pay more deference to the everyday, the mundane, the profound, yet often ignored places where I commonly exist.
Melissa McGill sat down to chat with us about her show, Currents, which ran in the fall of 2022 at Totah Gallery. McGill maintains a simultaneous studio practice and public art practice. The title refers to the movement of water and nods to current events in time. The works ranged across mediums from video to painting to mural and sculptural, all of them reflecting the theme of water. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.
Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo joined us from his studio in Indonesia to discuss his two-person show, External Entrails, at Silverlens Gallery in New York. The work in this show, called liniresin, resemble rock that might be found in an archaeological dig. Sunaryo began using resin in 2008 to create 2D work. As the resin piled up underneath the table where he worked, it became a record of all the work he had created over the years. To hear more about this unusual artwork, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket
What are the ordinary sacred spaces in your life? Tell us in the comments.
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. When we spoke to Melissa McGill, she was reading Catching the Light by Joy Harjo.
Deadlines:
The Dome House invites artists to apply for the Al & Mickey Quinlan Residency, which, in their own words, is an application-based 8-week program for emerging and mid-career Midwest artists focused in the areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, created and led in partnership with the Miller Art Museum. The 2023 resident is invited to live and work at the Dome House from August 1 to September 25, 2023. The residency serves the broader mission of the Dome House to provide artists working in all mediums with space for creativity, contemplation and inspiration. For more information, visit the website. Deadline is March 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.