“The noisy man is listened to first, and then the quiet man; and since wars are noisy and violent, it may take long for the ability of quiet men to be recognized, or for their voices to be heard above the bellowing of incompetents.” -Kenneth Roberts, Arundel
Art, much like people, can speak in a shout or a whisper. It can make it’s presence known immediately or sit quietly in waiting for the right moment. Neither of these is a liability. Anything that is worth being said and heard eventually will be. The trick is to hone the patience to wait for that moment to come, to know when it’s your time and to make your message clear and strong.
Nana Wolke spoke to us about her show Breed, which ran until July 14 at Management in NYC. A theme of surveillance runs through the work in the exhibition, playing on the concept of perspective. Wolke was curious about access as well as the exclusivity of spaces, especially post-COVID. To learn more about this show and other aspects of Wolke’s artistic life, listen to the complete interview.
Raquel Rabinovich joined us to talk about her show Avatars, which ran until June 15 at Hutchinson Modern. The works from 2022 continue a language in which Rabinovich has been working throughout her career. The dark works require viewers to get close to see and perceive. The intention is to invite the viewer to explore and connect beyond literal language as they know it. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Will you shout or whisper today?
Outings
Join me for Frank Stella: Recent Sculpture March 8–May 18, 2024 18 Wooster Street, New York.
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 Kathleen is reading The Mythology of Sex by Sarah Dening.
Opportunities
The Prisma Art Prize promotes emerging painters and visual artists, aiming to explore the diverse possibilities in contemporary painting. Our mission is to answer the question: what does painting mean today? We focus on inclusive research and support for artists from various cultural and educational backgrounds. For more information and to enter, visit the website. Deadline is August 3.