Against the Current

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby, and Fitzgerald’s iconic closing line still cuts deep. A century later, the novel remains a mirror—reflecting ambition, illusion, and the tug of memory. As we honor this literary milestone, we’re reminded how the past shapes our present—and how art keeps that conversation alive.

Graham Durward joined us to talk about What can I do about my dreams, his recent show at Peninsula Art Space. Among the inspirations for the work in this show was a collection of handwritten recipes Durward received from his mother decades ago and recently rediscovered. He was struck by the way her handwriting imbued these ordinary things with so much personality. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.

Iva Gueorguieva sat down to discuss her recent show, Gallop, to retrieve the sunlight!, which ran until July 11 at Derek Eller Gallery. The title comes from a piece of writing Gueorguieva created. She explained that “clusters of words” will often come to her, and she scribbles these into her sketchbooks. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

What are the timeless stories that help you navigate the tides?

Outings.

Join me at Grand Central Terminal for Hello Stranger, the debut show from Adam Dressner.

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 Ariel Lucas is reading Ajax by Sophocles.

Opportunities.

The Nicholas Dahl Scholarship supports LGBTQIA+ artists under 30 with financial need, offering a funded, weeklong creative retreat in Provincetown during the off-season, including studio access, lodging, and workshops. To learn more, visit the website. Deadline is July 31.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics and is currently faculty at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He has written seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.