“I don’t know why exactly, but I’m attracted to gaps and injustice and have a missionary conversion complex that refuses to tolerate the bland, the banal, and the boring. I have some bizarre flaw that wants the world to be perfect. And colorful. And interesting. And fun.” -Steve Van Zandt, Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir
Wouldn’t it be exciting if every day were filled with joyful surprises? If every moment, we could expect things to take the path of what is right and what is intriguing? Alas. Life is, at the core, rather banal much of the time. And yet, I would argue, this is perhaps what makes it great. After all, if everything we did was a spectacle of vibrancy, those moments would become mundane themselves. I posit that the big moments are so wonderful because of the slow, normal rhythm of life.
Esther Sibiude sat down with us to chat about her show, The Big Crunch, which recently ran at Entrance in NYC. The title comes from the scientific theory of compression in opposition to the big bang. Also a writer, she found the combination of words appealing and a humorously dramatic title to a show that contains somewhat modest colored pencil drawings. To learn more about Sibiude, including her work as a writer and harpist, listen to the complete interview.
Alison Judd joined us to talk about the group show Vitality on view at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery until August 20. Three of her paintings appear in the show. Judd tends to be quite intuitive in her work and works with memory quite a lot. Though she works in oil, she thins the paint down so that it almost becomes like watercolor creating an effect that almost glows. To learn more about her process, work and other things, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Embrace the mundane. And look forward to the bright spots.
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 is here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Susan recommends Greek Lessons by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith and Emily Yae Won.
The Corning Museum of Glass is accepting applications for the BIPOC Residency. In their own words:
“The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) Residency is a way of actively fostering a culture and community of inclusion that promotes, respects, and celebrates individuals who identify as members of this community.”
During this month-long residency, artists have access to the Rakow Research Library, the Corning Museum of Glass collection and expert museum staff. Transportation, room and board, a generous supplies budget and shared studio space is offered to each resident. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is August 31.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.