Brainard Carey

“Keep on truckin’” -Robert Crumb

Life goes on, whether we are ready or not. Time does not slow or stop to give us a moment to catch up, it simply drifts on, accumulating behind us and unfurling in front of us. While this can feel like an overwhelming situation, things marching on relentlessly, a simple shift in perspective can help. Consider that no matter how difficult things may feel, as the old adage says, this, too, shall pass. It will. It does. Every time.

Peter Frederiksen joined us to discuss, among other things, his exhibition at Massey Klein Gallery titled No No No No No. In general, Frederiksen places importance on titles, never putting untitled work into the world. The title of this show was intended to capture the over-arching feeling of the show, which included five pieces each with an ascending “no” in them. The themes of the show, which brought together small embroidered works on linen as well as textile sculpture, were varied and included panic, denial and defiance. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.

Dave Bopp joined us to chat about his show, Fear of the Invisible, which ran at Cindy Rucker Gallery until October 22. The title arose during a trip with friends where he encountered Robert Crumb signing books at a gallery. When he opened to the first page of the book he had signed, the title of the image he landed on was Fear of the Invisible, a title that immediately resonated with him. For Bopp, fear of the invisible is a state he believes humans are often in as we encounter the myriad things that go on around us all the time. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket

Sometimes, let time wash over you.

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews is here.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Peter Frederiksen recently finished How High we go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. Dave Bopp enjoys the work of Robert Crumb and other comic artists.

Deadlines:

MOAB Arts Re-Use Residency (MARR) invites applications from artists interested in exploring the intersection of art, community and waste systems. This four-week residency period offers studio space, project and community facilitation, a $1500 stipend, access to unlimited materials at local waste disposal sites and time/space to focus solely on art. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is November 30.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.

When the time is right for you to turn your art into your livelihood, where do you turn first? How does one build a successful career in the art world, a place notorious for its roadblocks and exclusive members-only status? The truth is that you absolutely can forge a life as a working artist, you simply need the right tools, just like with anything else. One of those tools is knowing what sort of opportunities are available – and there are a lot of them – here are a few to get you started.

Hybrida Space invites artists to apply for residency in Sweden between May and July 2023. Residency period is focused on the following question:

How can we, as a group, set collective goals and self-organize in ways that prioritize both individual creativity and communality?

The group in residence will work collaboratively to shape the program. Goals include:

– production of individual art projects
– organization of a communal household
– co-defining the curatorial framework and envisioning the final exhibition

For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is November 25.

MOAB Arts Re-Use Residency (MARR) invites applications from artists interested inexploring the intersection of art, community and waste systems. This four week residency period offers studio space, project and community facilitation, a $1500 stipend, access to unlimited materials at local waste disposal sites and time/space to focus solely on art. For more information and to apply, visit the website. Deadline for applications is November 30.

The Shirley Sherwood Collection invites submissions to the Young Botanical Artist Competition in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In their own words:

“Open to artists aged 16-25, The Young Botanical Artist competition invites entrants to submit a 2D botanical artwork on the subject of TREES. This could depict something as large as the entire tree or as small as a leaf bud. You could also choose the fruit, a decaying leaf, a branch, the moss-coated trunk or any other element that inspires you… provided it relates to trees.”

In addition to a cash prize, winning artwork will be exhibited at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in the heart of Kew Gardens beginning October 2023. For more information and to submit your work, visit the website. Deadline for submissions has recently been extended from November to April 30, 2023.

Praxis Center is known for offering artists the keys to the kingdom. We help you unlock doors across the art world, giving you the resources you need to kick start your art career. Our results speak for themselves – and so do our artists. We are obsessed with thriving art careers and want yours to be the next one. Join Praxis today and see how far it takes you.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.

Photo credit: The Shirley Sherwood Collection