“The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”
-William Wordsworth
We have reached the end of yet another symbolic road. A year wanes as a new one forms on the near horizon. Are you feeling exhausted? Have the last few years of tumult and uncertainty drained away the energy you once carried throughout your days? Perhaps now is a good time to consider ways to recharge, form a plan to be truly gentle with yourself and remember how you moved through your days before things spiraled so spectacularly. We are – all of us – processing the burden of trauma brought on by a world in chaos. Listen to your body and mind, slow down where you can, breathe.
Jodi Hays sat down to chat with us about her show, The Burden of Wait: Paintings from the New American South, on view at Susan Inglett Gallery until January 28. She uses a variety of media for her collages, though dyed cardboard is her primary material. Hays worked alongside Michi Meko for this show, creating works that were in conversation with his. In addition to cardboard, she brings in paper, fabric, acrylic paint and more. To hear further discussion about the materials Jodi Hays works with, the meaning behind her art and more, listen to the complete interview.
Dana Robinson joined us to discuss Dial Tone, her recent exhibition at A.I.R. Gallery. She derived the title largely from thinking about the kinds of technology that have been replaced in a short period of time. Today, it is unusual for any of us to hear a dial tone and, indeed, entire generations have never encountered one. Robinson has been making pieces on wood panel using acrylic, and for this show, she wanted to incorporate these works into her larger body of work. To hear more about this and some of the specific works in the show, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket
It’s OK to feel spent, and it’s OK to put yourself first for a while.
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 Virginia Bryant has several offerings, including Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood and README.txt by Chelsea Manning.
Deadlines:
Artists are invited to apply for residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in New Mexico. Those selected will participate in three months of creative time in rent-free and utilities-paid housing. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline is January 18.
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.