“I kept thinking about the uneven quality of time–the way it was almost always so empty, and then with no warning came a few days that felt so dense and alive and real that it seemed indisputable that that was what life was, that its real nature had finally been revealed. But then time passed and unthinkably grew dead again, and it turned out that that fullness had been an aberration and might never come back.”
The Idiot, Elif Batuman
If you’re like most people, you fill your days with the somewhat mundane tasks of life. Getting up in the morning, consuming food to sustain and nourish yourself, keeping house, going to and from work, – even if that work is your own artistic practice, meeting with friends, etc. This quiet domesticity and work-a-day activity are simply the rhythm of modern life. But, as Elif Batuman says, do you occasionally find yourself in the midst of a stretch of days or weeks when life seems to burst through in full color? Does it make you wonder why more of life can’t be big and loud like that? Or perhaps we relish these times because of their scarcity.
Riley Holloway joined us to talk about Love Galore, his recent show at Massey Klein Gallery. The figurative works in the show demonstrate poses of closeness and intimacy. Friends of the artist inspired the paintings with their love for each other. Holloway has painted on themes of love before, whether nurturing love or self love. In this show, he focused on the gestures of love within a couple. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Marek Wolfryd spoke with us about his recent show at Swivel Gallery. Entitled The Great Logic of Contents that Bind the World into Existence or “Season’s Greetings!”, the show centers on Wolfryd’s research over the last few years into the Chinese concept of shanzai, a term that was coined to name the phenomenon of how the Chinese culture understands the idea of originality within a global economic or commercial context. To hear more about this concept and the work it inspired for Wolfryd, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Is it best that the momentous times in life are few and far between?
Outings.
Join me at Harper’s for work by Iria Leino: 1968–1970
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read.
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. You can read more about the concept of Shanzhai in the essay of the same name by South Korean Philosopher Byung-Chul Han
Opportunities.
The 2025 GALLIM Moving Artist Residency supports NYC-based BIPOC women, trans, and nonbinary movement artists with studio space, stipend, mentorship, workshops, and resources to explore creative process. For more information, visit the website. Deadline for applications is May 1.