“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
-Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
It’s a truth we should all strive to understand, that no matter how high the platform or how shiny the title, we are all just human. We carry our own doubts, ambitions, and responsibilities into every role we hold. Leadership, creativity, and impact aren’t about elevation, they’re about accountability, humility, and the choices we make when no one else is watching.
Aglaé Bassens joined us to talk about her recent show, Vacant, which ran until December 20 at Hesse Flatow Gallery. The title refers chiefly to the vacant stare people sometimes adopt and Bassens’ thoughts on what can fill that space. This informed the paintings in the show, which also marked a change in her materials and approach. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Paul Scott talked to us about One Way or Another, his two-person ceramics exhibition at HB381 alongside Caroline Slotte. The artists have known one another for over 20 years, and their shared interest in the use of blue and white transferware has kept them in artistic conversation since. To learn more about their connection and this show, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Work hard and stay humble.
Outings.
Join me at Reflection for work by Patty Horing.
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. Praxis user Lane Bardon has given himself 18 months to complete Marcel Proust’s famously complex In Search of Lost Time.
Opportunities.
Sloss Furnaces Foundation offers 8-week Visiting Artist residencies with housing, stipend, materials, and 24/7 studio access, culminating in an exhibition and collection donation; open to U.S. and self-visa international artists. Learn more at the website. Deadline is February 6.