“And books which told me everything about the wasp, except why.”
-Dylan Thomas, A Child’s Christmas in Wales
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to gather facts but feel like something essential is missing? We read, research, scroll, and absorb information like names, dates, and details, yet the deeper why often slips through the cracks. By leaning into curiosity, we not only learn more, we end up asking better questions, following our wonder a little further, and staying open to the insights that facts alone can’t quite explain.
Sigrid Sandström joined us to talk about Penumbra, her very recent show at Anat Ebgi Gallery. The paintings are very process oriented. Sandström begins with a blank canvas, treating the painting itself as its own sketch of sorts. Marks on the surface become her guide, almost a skeleton of the work. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Ryan Crotty spoke with us about Manual Transition, a show just coming down at High Noon Gallery. The works are created on linen using modeling paste and gel that resemble resin. The paste becomes the ground, setting up the painting to reflect light through the layers. The gloss gel medium, tinted with high-pigment transparent acrylic, is applied in just three colors. To learn more about this process that yields vibrant, ethereal works, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
Go beyond the facts this week. Ask the questions that matter, follow your curiosity, and see where the why leads you next.
Outings.
Join me at James Cohan for works by Naudline Pierre and Tecla Tofano
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 user Bill Nerenberg is reading Mark Rothko: From the Inside Out, by Christopher Rothko.
Opportunities.
The Ucross Fellowship supports contemporary Native American artists, writers, and performers with a four-week residency, stipend, $2,000 award, and public presentation opportunities in Wyoming’s High Plains. Learn more at the website. Deadline is January 15.