Think hands, think mouth, think eyes. Those pieces floating
in their stream of thought. That they might cohere and be a life,
life lived, in one room or another, footfall and laughter,
signs over doorways, moving air. That the mouth might speak…
-Excerpt from So Fast Away, a poem by Laurie Sheck in her collection Black Series: Poems
How often do you pause to consider the fact of your own existence? Of the existence of everyone around you? And I mean really consider. We are, quite literally, a collection of chains of carbon atoms – inert matter come to life. It is an astounding thought, but one we are so used to that we no longer see the tremendous wonder and mystery that sits at the very core of what – and who – we are. We often get so caught up in the big picture or in the minutiae of daily life that we forget the truly unlikely fact that we – YOU – are standing here, right now, thinking, feeling, interacting.
Trudy Benson joined us to discuss her show, XTATIC, on view at Miles McEnery Gallery until May 11. This exhibition of paintings draws its title from the look of computer art, with much of the work demonstrating orthogonal imagery – that is, images that involve right angles as opposed to softer lines. The second half of the title, static, can bring to mind something that is energetic but at the same time droning. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Debbi Kenote sat down to talk about her recent two-person show alongside Mark Sengbusch titled Cross Cut, which ran at Cristin Tierney Gallery until April 20. The title is a metaphor for cutting through or looking across something. Both artists, who created the title collaboratively, use technology in their work. They found that their art joined in interesting ways, with Kenote often linking canvases together and Sengbusch creating almost puzzle-like wooden pieces that fit together in his art. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Take a moment to marvel at the absolute impossibility of your existence.
Outings
Join me at Miles McEnery Gallery and Harper’s
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 member Pamela Gleave is reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Opportunities
CIFRA and Art Night Venezia announce an open call. This event celebrates Marco Polo’s 700th passing anniversary, honoring his legacy of connecting East and West. CIFRA encourages the exploration of diverse cultures through art, fostering global unity. Three winning artists receive a cash prize. For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline is May 20.