no reading required part II

<![CDATA[<p>hello again! this edition of the grapefruits sometimes art mail is the second installment of what i guess is now a mini-series, called “no reading required.” this is a podcast- and video-centric version of the newsletter (which is usually focused on writing), and it’s back by popular demand because you all really don’t like to read! haha jk, life these days is crazy and our attention spans and eyeball capacities are blown out from the constant flow of content, so i am really happy to provide a selection of interesting, enlightening arts discussions that you can listen to while you fold laundry or work in the garden or do whatever physical real-life things you need or want to do. i also want to continue expanding the variety of media i’m featuring on here in recognition of the different ways we all like to process information, so look for the next episode of this little thing to highlight a bunch of cool videos. but for now, here is a selection of great podcasts and such for your listening pleasure:</p>

first up is just the nicest conversation with painter clarity haynes on the "i like your work" podcast. there was so much in what she had to say that i really connected with, especially in the part of the interview where she talks about her studio process. i also believe in questioning the impulse to resist certain aspects of your artistic urges, because so often the reason for this impulse is external. it's also cool to hear about the evolution of her torso portrait series, and the vibes all around are so good. enjoy! (tip: the first 5ish minutes are promos, skip ahead for the interview)

as an artist who puts on very DIY shows mostly for fun, i am always so interested to learn more about the art world from the perspective of curators and gallerists who do this for real. ebony haynes is doing it for real! she runs 52 walker, which is like an independent spinoff of sorts of david zwirner's gallery (galleries?). in this episode of "art and obsolesence," she talks about how she started working in galleries and how she tries to support artists while being honest about the economic side of things, which is no joke because as she says, "it's not a nonprofit business." zwirner has always struck me as an ultra-exclusive behemoth for rich people, so it is a pleasant surprise that they support the work of curators like ebony and smaller galleries through their other programs. also i love that 52 walker's first show, featuring artist kandis williams, involves collage in several forms!! yay collage.

in the last email i shared a link to a profile of sculptor simone leigh, and here she is again in the venice biennale! this episode of "the week in art," a podcast produced by the art newspaper, includes reviews of a few of the country pavilions, and a conversation about the main exhibition, curated by cecilia alemani. i loved the hosts' shoutout to "slow curating," let's have more of that in the art world!

this next one is like the spiritual opposite of slow, thoughtful curating... divvying up super valuable artworks and selling the figurative scraps as "shares" for ambitious types to try and make a few bucks on! : ( i have heard ads for one of the companies that does this (masterworks) and wondered what this garbage was all about. well, artnet news apparently has a resident "art detective" who joined their podcast to explain all this silliness... i learned that it's called "fractional art investing," and some of the companies actually go so far as to tell you which piece of the painting you "own" lol!! definitely gross, but not too depressing because i personally feel pretty confident that this will go away before too long, like all low-effort, high-risk, meme-stocky money-making endeavors. also, sorry to offend anyone who is excited about this, i'm happy to hear opposing viewpoints!

i think sondra perry is so cool! longtime video art curator barbara london interviewed her for her podcast, "barbara london calling" (cute name). it was interesting to hear how her craft background informed her approach to video, and things like her frame of mind when making certain early works and how her perspective on them shifted later in life. the super honest and personal way she talks about her experience in arts institutions and her views on equity in contemporary art systems and data and tech and IP is so refreshing to me. also i love a good blue/green screen!!

i'm including this episode of the momus podcast, featuring a 2020 article about the re-staging of a work by felix gonzalez-torres, with a couple of minor caveats: it is pretty long, and a lot of the second part of it is focused on the author (rahel aima) talking through her process of writing and publishing the piece, which is kind of momus' thing but i understand might be boring to some folks. also, maybe i was just grumpy when i listened to it early in the morning, but the giggle fit one of the hosts had during their introductions annoyed me so much! i wish they would have edited the intro a bit more. anyhoo, the article really tears this re-staging apart for its mindless commodification of a work that was created as a memorial, and touches on some of the larger implications and connections that kind of privileged gesture comes along with.

the last thing i'll share with you is a collection of sound pieces by artist jennie c. jones. as a maximalist who love representational images, i think i would find it challenging to engage with her very minimal, neutral-toned abstract paintings just on their own. but actually, they aren't just paintings! they are instruments in a way; they use acoustic panels to interact with the audio works she creates. even though i'm sure it's so much more amazing to experience that dialogue in person, the concept still offers a virtual viewer like me an access point that tells me there is a lot more to this work than i might have thought at first glance. the first piece in this collection is a beautiful reading by artist fred moten of a text he wrote for a show of jones' work in chicago. some of the other ones i love are "RPM: revolutions per minute at the glass house" and "slowly in a silent way caged." jones also has a soundcloud that she links to on the site if you want more.

ok that's all i have for now (actually i have a lot more but i'll save it for another time). please let me know what you think and/or if you have suggestions/complaints/requests for me. thanks!!!

martha