Who’s Difficult?

“It is a fact of life that certain people are corrosive to others’ self esteem simply as a function of who and what they are.”

-David Foster Wallace, Oblivion

Are there people in your life who may, for one reason or another, make things more difficult? For most of us there are – or have been – folks like this. And that’s OK. There is, of late, a trend to rid yourself of those who cause you any measure of discomfort. And in some cases, this is absolutely the best option. But sometimes maybe it’s worth keeping those folks who challenge us around. Growth can look a million different ways. And one of those ways is struggle. We learn by overcoming things, and occasionally those things are difficult personalities.

Antonia Caicedo Holguin joined us to talk about her recent group show, I Was Carefree, Green and Golden, which ran until December 31 at Isabel Sullivan Gallery. In her figurative paintings, Caicedo Holguin chronicles her own life to a great degree. When painting, she thinks of the practice as writing a short story, giving much thought to the characters and the space they appear in. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Leo Frontini discussed his show, On the Corner Of, which is up at Albertz Benda Gallery until March 22. After starting the practice of writing brief explanations of each of his paintings, Frontini slowly developed a practice of writing poetry. This now complements his visual work, offering a window into the work. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.

Sometimes when it’s challenging, lean in further.

Outings.

Join me at Marianne Boesky Gallery for Material World.

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 Robin Pedrero recommends Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life by Jim Murphy.

Opportunities.

The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation invites emerging curators, academics, and art historians to propose exhibitions exploring art and social justice, with funding and curatorial support. Learn more at the website. Deadline for submissions is February 28.

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.