“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” -Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Have you ever truly lived among nature? I don’t mean spent an afternoon, a day or even a camping trip someplace wild, but truly lived enmeshed in the natural world? I believe I can say that most of us – myself included – can not make this claim. As I read Erik Brown’s Seat in a Wild Place: seasons on a northern pond, I am drawn in by curiosity about what it must be to have lived alongside nature in full. Of course, Brown observes rather than becomes a part of, which I suppose one could argue is all most humans can hope to do. Perhaps we have irreversibly removed ourselves from the natural world, and even our best attempts to reintegrate leave us as enthusiastic tourists at best.
Erin Milez joined us to discuss many topics, among them her pieces for Works on Paper, a group show that recently ran at Monya Rowe Gallery in NYC. We dove into one work, Telephone, a water-based multimedia work. For most of her pieces, Milez begins with small moments of communication or miscommunication. For the works in this show, she considered foods – specifically fruits – and the communication that might take place in a couple about them. To hear more about this and other pieces from Miles, listen to the complete interview.
Victor Boullet: we spoke to Riley Davidson, who recently curated WEERCHH.WEERCHH.LIVERPUUL.DRAWING. for Lubov Gallery in NYC. The artist requested that Davidson be interviewed as the curator rather than him directly as the artist. The two connected on Tumblr when Davidson encountered his work for the first time. At the time, she had curated a few shows and decided to cold-email Boullet asking to connect. Ultimately, Davidson pitched the idea of some kind of exhibition in New York, and after a few iterations, she pitched to Francisco Correa Cordero, owner and director of Lubov, who took up the idea. To hear more about this show, Boullet’s work and more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
What do you think – can humans ever truly “return” to nature?
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. Erin Milez listens to audiobooks in the studio. Recently she completed Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem by Julie Phillips.
Deadlines:
Oak Spring Garden Foundation invites submissions for the Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence. This honor is awarded annually to an outstanding early-career artists developing works that address plants, gardens or landscapes. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2-5 week stay at Oak Spring. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for submissions is May 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.