“And I said, ‘That last thing is what you can’t get, Carlo. Nobody can get to that last thing. We keep on living in hopes of catching it once and for all.” -Jack Kerouac, On the Road
We keep on living. By which of course I mean that each of us lives our time and leaves this place, but the world keeps turning and others fill the space. We move forward, reaching ever onward, grasping for what’s next. What we have is never enough, it can be improved, multiplied, manipulated in such a way as to re-satisfy until this, too, is not enough. We reach forward, destroy whatever lies in our path to grab the next, soon-to-be obsolete.
Margaret Smithers-Crump lives and works in Houston, Texas where she is presently preparing for three upcoming exhibitions. Her current work investigates coastal regions through the lens of climate change, both human and natural costs. She creates spacial work with an emphasis on recycled materials such as Plexiglas and poly carbonate. To hear more about the details of her work and her own personal history as a witness of climate change, listen to the complete interview.
Paul Genega is working on a multi-media piece titled Paging Dr. Faustus which has been in process for ten years. The work began as a straight play but has evolved over the years into an absurdist work. The story is a reworking of the story of Doctor Faustus set in a failing hospital. He also helped create a documentary titled Service: When Women Come Marching Home which sparked his interest in examining the services that veterans do not receive upon their return home. Genega is also the author of many books of poetry. To hear more about his collaborative projects, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:
There is no end to it – this grasping, reaching, all-consuming need for more.
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 Smithers-Crump is interested in biomimicry, in particular the work of Janine Benyus. Paul Genega’s book of poetry can be found here.
Calling all animators! Quickdraw Animation Society is accepting submissions for its 15 GIRAF International Festival of Independent Animation. Animators working in all styles, genres, lengths and media are invited to submit their work for consideration to be shown in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Films can be longform or shorts, hand-drawn or computer animated and artists can be students or established. The only exclusion is any commercial material. For complete details and to submit work, visit the website. Deadline is July 15
Deadlines
Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.
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 the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.
Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.
Golden Artist Colors began publishing the Just Paint newsletter in 1989, a source for information about painting techniques, product information, and the latest research in art materials. Now online, JustPaint.org has become one of the most exhaustive resources for technical information in fine art. With the new Just Paint Experience, GOLDEN is expanding the concept to provide artists with quick-reading, studio-oriented content to help bring their visions to life.
When you subscribe to Just Paint Experience (free), you’ll receive access to exclusive content. GOLDEN will also notify you whenever there is new content added to the site.