“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” -Anais Nin
In life and in death, love remains constant. There is no end to a love that once was simply because it may be no more. It will, no matter how much time passes, be a truth preserved that can never be undone. Love may last a moment or a lifetime, no matter. It is, it was and it always will be. One party may depart the bounds of earthly life or simply walk out the door. But there is no null where love is concerned. It endures as a spark in the vastness of time.
Margaret Keller is presently at work on a new exhibit titled Leaning on Nature, a one woman show that will open at the Mitchell Museum in Illinois at the end of February, 2020. The exhibit links humans and nature, considering our dependency as well as our exploitation of the natural world. Themes of human entitlement, security, knowledge and our future on the planet figure strongly as well as the symbiosis between humans and nature. Recently, Keller got involved in activism around tree removal near her home. Although her city was determined a “tree city” years ago, there was no tree ordinance written to protect them. As a result of her investigation into this, there is now a tree ordinance in the works to protect trees from removal without permission from the town. To hear more about Margaret Keller’s work, including details about the four series in her upcoming Leaning on Nature exhibit, as well as a discussion of alternative artist spaces, listen to the complete interview.
Duane Michals is preparing for his own death. He will soon turn 88 and feels overwhelmed by the human condition. He lost a friend of 57 years four years ago and saw him through his death from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. After this, Michals began preparing for his own inevitable demise. He has squared away all the business components of death, including paying for his cremation up front. Michals believes that one should bring the same curiosity to death as to life. Michals speaks about the beauty and naturalness of sex. Although his own libido has cooled over the years, it has not been extinguished and he still enjoys the depths of sensuality. Michals presently has shows at the Morgan Library as well as the DC Moore Gallery. This was Michals’ second interview with Praxis. To hear more of this fascinating conversation, listen to the complete interview. And to hear his previous discussion with Praxis, click here.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
Love is absolute regardless of how fickle it may be.
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 here. Margaret Keller is reading The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert. Books by Duane Michals can be found here.
Deadlines
Enter now for consideration for the 2020 Rijksstudio Award. Winning artist receives a cash prize and a feedback session with an art professional. The winning entry also might become part of the Rijksmuseum Shop. Head to the website for more information. Deadline for entry is February 27.
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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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.