“That man who does not believe that each day contains an earlier, more sacred, and auroral hour than he has yet profaned, has despaired of life, and is pursuing a descending and darkening way.”
-Henry David Thoreau, Where I Lived and What I Lived For
There’s something about the idea that each day offers a little bit more than we found yesterday. Even when things are not going exactly as we might choose, today is a chance to begin again with greater intention and clarity. Ignoring that simple truth puts you at risk of drifting into a life that feels increasingly dim, shaped more by habit than by choice. But finding your way to embracing this concept, even imperfectly, allows you to rise a little earlier in spirit, meet the day before it hardens, and keep reaching for something truer.
David Smalling joined us to talk about Elizabethan Collar, his exhibition of paintings on view at Templar Gallery until April 25. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, the work in his previous show depicted his life there during his high school years. His new works look less at his life pre-college, when he came to the U.S. for undergrad at Yale before going on to earn a Ph.D from Harvard, leaning more toward his more recent years. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Tess Michalik spoke to us about her show, Sea Violet, on view at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts until May 16. The title of the show comes from a poem of the same name by the poet Hilda Doolittle, known as H.D. The paintings in the show, while on the surface floral works, hold deeper meaning coded in a soft pastel world. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Give today a chance to amaze you.
Outings.
Join me at Hauser & Wirth for work by Louise Bourgeois
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. James Dean Kirlik is reading A Guide for the Perplexed, by Ernst F. Schumacher.
Opportunities.
The Seattle Prize revives historic patronage, giving artists time, funding, studios, and mentorship to create ambitious work free from commercial pressure, building a public collection that celebrates human-centered, enduring art. For more information, visit the website. Deadline is April 30.