I started photographing the people I followed. It came really without thinking. I had a diary and started to record who I followed and where they went. I printed the photos in a basement I shared with another girl, Gloria Friedman.” -Sophie Calle
If someone were to document you, what might they discover? In the moments when you think no one is looking, who are you really? It is a strange truth that we do not often pause to consider who we are. Life is busy and loud, chaotic and demanding, and sometimes the best we can do is just get through. But if you had someone to truly witness you, what might they see?
Tony Bechara stopped by to talk to us about his recent exhibition of acrylic paintings at Lisson Gallery. His work strongly resembles pixels, though he began working in this way long before the idea of pixels was even a thing. Bechara tells us that he has always been interested in pointillism and pixelation. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Elizabeth Heyert chatted with us about her show, Metamorphosis, which runs until April 20 at Daniel Cooney Fine Art. The cyanotype and silver gelatin prints in the exhibition feature experimental portraiture in which Heyert attempts to capture something about the inner lives of human beings. To try capturing something of the subconscious, Heyert worked with a trained hypnotherapist who hypnotised her subjects before they were photographed. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Witness who you are.
Outings
Join me at Lisson Gallery for the work of Tony Bechard.
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. Explore the work of Sophie Calle here. Praxis member Joseph Fortunato is reading The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle.
Opportunities
Franklin Furnace introduces the Jacki Apple Award, celebrating Jacki Apple’s impact on New York art. An annual $10,000 award initiated by Marjorie Bank honors Apple’s dedication to artists. To learn more, visit the website. Deadline is April 30.