“We learn from failure, not from success!” -Bram Stoker, Dracula
The title of this newsletter is something that the late William Pope.L often used to say to his students. Success teaches little. What can you learn when everything goes right except perhaps to repeat the steps that got you there? Failure, on the other hand – now this is where the good work happens. Failure may sting, but it carries with it lessons that will serve you for a lifetime. When we fail, we begin to readjust a perspective we may have carried for a very long time, refocusing on the problem we are trying to solve and finding new ways to do it.
Robin Kid talked with us about his show, Searching for America, his first solo exhibition in the U.S., which ran until October 26 at Templon Gallery. The title of the show is layered, speaking in part to the times in which we live with rampant consumerism all around us. Kid recalls the many things from his childhood that brought him joy that turn out to be consumer products – Disney movies, toy catalogs, puzzles on the back of cereal boxes and more. Raised in a mining town in Holland, Kid also came to associate America with an idea of freedom and happiness. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.
Mala Iqbal joined us to discuss her show, The Edge of an Encounter, running through November 9 at JJ Murphy Gallery. A friend suggested the title of the show, speaking to the paintings in the show which all include some sort of an encounter. In all of Iqbal’s work, there is ambiguity, the viewer does not know whether the encounters are good or bad. Such is the case in the work in this show. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
A few words to keep in your pocket
Anyone can succeed. But to fail well is truly a gift.
Outings
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 C. Fitzgibbon is reading Burr by Gore Vidal.
Opportunities
Artists in financial need may apply for one-time Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants fup to $5,000 for recent medical emergencies. Open to visual, film, digital artists, and choreographers with public-facing work. Visit the website to learn more and apply. Next cycle deadline is November 29.