Saturday, November 9, 2024

Joy

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” -Anne Frank

As we enter the last light of the year, the season of holidays casts a different shadow for all. Many find themselves equally surrounded by feelings of plenty and dearth, at the same time feeling the fullness of family and the absence of loved ones lost. These darkening days can be a time of fertile creation, a time to reach deep within and connect with those things we choose to keep below. Still many sublimate their grief, replacing with a veneer of happiness. Meanwhile beneath, the memories remain, pulling gently at each moment as the shortening days go by.

Jules Rosskam is presently at work on two projects – both of which are in the early stages. One is a feature length documentary with a working title of Desire Lines that explores the intersection of sex, gender and sexuality. At the moment, Rosskam is examining the phenomenon of trans-gender men coming out and finding themselves attracted to cis-gender men. The other project is Embodiment Without Bodies, a multi-faceted endeavor that strives to understand how we arrived at the current meaning of bodies. For this film, Rosskam is working with a scientist who studies biometrics and health outcomes, trying to understand mirror neurons. To understand more about this and hear an in-depth conversation about Rosskam’s work, listen to the complete interview.

Jennifer Martin is based in London where she has just opened two exhibitions, one in Nottingham and the other in South London. At the same time, she is developing new work as part of a fellowship through Film London Artist Moving Image Network. This particular fellowship works with early career artists and runs for around six months using seed money to help artists develop their projects. Martin’s project is part of a larger series of work that is based around the topics of immigration and assimilation. Titled And Image Doubled, the piece is a moving image work that will examine “the performative nature of immigration” set within the universe of a reality dating series. To hear more about this work as well as Jennifer Martin’s dual exhibitions, and a discussion about working as an artist in London, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Allow the fullness of joy to encounter the echoes of loss and in this way honor the memories along with the moments.

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 here.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list hereWe Both Laughed in Pleasure: the Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan by Louis Gradyon Sullivan, Ellis Martin, et al. Jennifer Martin is reading Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval by Saidiya Hartman.

Early to mid-career artists looking for time to devote to their own artistic practice are invited to apply to the Artist in Residence program at Guild Hall. Established in 2016, Guild Hall focuses on giving residents the opportunity to foster artistic discovery while continuing the rich artistic tradition found in the community of East Hampton, New York. Residents receive housing and some board, material and travel budgets as well as a one-time stipend. For full details and to apply, visit the website. Note: there is a $20 fee for submission. Deadline is December 13.

 

Deadlines

 

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.

 

Photo credit: Jules Rosskam

 

 

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