“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one,” said Albert Einstein. It is this illusion in which we are constantly submerged. We create our own reality, a mythology of, and for ourselves that defines how we move through the world. Each of us looks through a self-created lens. There are moments when this lens falls away, often during times of great extreme. In these moments, we are allowed a glimpse of the reality we do not control. The myth of control creates both security and strife in human lives. It allows us to believe we have some measure of security but shakes us to the core when that security is compromised. Ultimately, although we may cling to our created reality, we must accept our place as we float through the vast and random universe letting the ground beneath us give way.
Barbara Clausen tracks and documents the evolution of performance art. Performance artists themselves, she says, intentionally document their own typically ephemeral work and create a mythology surrounding it. This is very much a part of the overall strategy used to create the image performance artists portray. Presently, Clausen lives in Montreal, Quebec where she works as an independent curator and a college professor. For her doctoral thesis she interviewed artists about their documentation process.
In Berlin, British artist Paul McDevitt finds a sort of freedom unlike that in other major cities around the world. His work incorporates drawing, painting, and screen printing. McDevitt is one half of record label Infinite Grayscale along with Cornelius Quabeck. The two release volumes of art in the form of vinyl records. One side contains audio while the other side is a screen printed visual image. McDevitt curates a shop window in Berlin where he offers exposure, often dedicating the space to mid-career artists who he says might otherwise find it difficult to be seen in an art world increasingly focused on emerging and long-established artists.
Additional interviews include: Mitch Altman and Sam Durant
Great literature often investigates the link between perception and reality. User Cristina has been reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari which examines philosophical questions from the context of human evolution. User Gerben is immersed in nihilism reading Journey to the Edge of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine. What are you reading? Click here to add your books.
Green Olive Arts is accepting applications from artists interested in spending spring in Morocco. Residencies connect artists from around the world with the culture and people of Morocco. Deadline for spring applications is March 1.
We must strive to accept that reality is fluid. What may be safe and comfortable may also be altered at a moment’s notice. To live with this, allow it in and accept it as a part of our daily lives, is to be more at peace with the true nature of reality.
Here, as ever, are the interview archives and resources. Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here.