Is It Necessary?

“Duty is what no-one else will do at the moment.”

-Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore

What are some things you consider it – or have considered it in the past – your duty to do? Are there parts of life that others around you perhaps avoid where you step forward willingly? And do you agree with Penelope Fitzgerald’s definition of duty at all? Is it, as she states, those things that no one else will do at the moment? Or do we all have duties in our lives that are perhaps things that others can and will do as well? There is a lot of interpretation to this word, this idea of duty.

Jessica Helfand joined us to talk about her show, Character Studies, which runs until June 1 at Jim Kempner Fine Art. A writer and painter who is very interested in the veracity of characters. For these works, Helfand took facial descriptions in fiction and ran them through AI with her sketch of the character in order to embed the authors’ voice into each painting. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Greg Chann chatted with us about Synaptic Structures, his recent show which ran through April 5 at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts. This series of work originated at the beginning of the pandemic as Chann realized in no uncertain terms that the world is connected. This led to the idea of synapses, the connections within the brain, a fitting title for work involving connected, moving parts. To hear more about this show and the effect of the pandemic on Chann’s work, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

Tells us in the comments how you think about “duty” in your life.

Outings.

Join me at Miles McEnery Gallery for work by Patrick Wilson

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 Colleen M. is reading Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross,

Opportunities.

Cuttyhunk Island Artist Residency 2025 Fall Residencies offer artists focused creative time, inspiration from Cuttyhunk Island, and community through shared living, expert mentorship, and immersive experiences in a stunning coastal setting. Learn more at the website. Deadline for applications is May 15.

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.