When The Unthinkable Becomes The Inevitable

“It seems part of the human condition that while we cannot predict future events, as soon as those events do happen we find it hard to see them as anything but inevitable.”

David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

This paradox that Graeber cites is part of the human condition – a reminder that while we can’t predict what’s coming, we can choose how to meet it. In creative work, this means trusting the process, embracing risk, and allowing unexpected turns to shape what we make. In our larger lives, it may mean learning to bend and flex – go with the flow, so to speak, so that no matter what comes our way, we are present.

Jovencio de la Paz joine us to talk about el lugar de los milagros / the place of miracles, his recent exhibition at PPOW Gallery. In preparation for this show, de la Paz did some research travel in Oaxaca where he visited a famous acropolis ruin well known among weavers for the ancient weave structures covering the bricks. As he walked through the site, reading signs about how it was used, the phrase “the place of miracles” jumped out at him. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Patricia Lee Stotter, a film, theater and television composer, joined us back in 2021. She joined us on the day of the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan in the midst of the evacuations. As someone who has been deeply involved in veterans’ affairs and working at the time on a project focused on the role of service dogs in veterans’ families, she had a unique perspective on the events and how to move forward. To hear more about her thoughts and her work, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

How do you meet the unexpected?

Outings.

Join me at No Gallery for All Heaven in a Rage, a solo exhibition by Mark Dion.

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 Robert Pinto is reading The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner.

Opportunities.

The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants offer up to $5,000 for artists facing recent medical, dental, or mental health emergencies. Open to eligible visual, media, and choreographic artists in financial need. To learn more, visit the website. Application deadline is July 8.

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.