Yep, here we are… back with the second half of my conversation with my amazing friend, New York artist Petah Coyne. In case you missed Part I, Petah was kind enough to take over as ‘podcast host’ so she could interview me. We’re talking about the opening of my show, what worked, what I’d change, what’s next, and all of the many feelings that come crashing in after you’ve worked really hard on a body of work for a really long time. Listen right up there under that lovely vinyl lettering (I love it when that goes up on the wall!), or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

Alright, here’s look at a bunch of the ‘specimens’, most of which were shot by my talented friend Stephanie Seaton:

Yep. Gum and cigarettes and birds and flowers and mushrooms and crocodiles! Stephanie and I are gonna go back and shoot the collages once the sun goes down because, boy oh boy, that resin reflects allllll the light. I’ve posted a few videos of the collages though, so if you’d like to take a peek you can find those right here: one, and two.

And finally, a selfie taken on one of my many quiet, on-my-own, visits to the show…

… to ponder what might be next. Thanks so much to Petah for doing this with me, and thanks to you for listening. ~ Danielle xo

Other links:

1. Petah on Instagram
2. Petah’s “Black Sand” (complete with motor oil!)
3. Full video walk through of the show! (via Instagram)
4. Penticton Art Gallery
5. Alexandra Goodall, Artist
6. Sandy Skoglund, Artist
7. White Lotus, TV Series
8. Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2022

Soooo, when Malcom Gladwell’s podcast network reaches out to you and says, “Hey Danielle, would you like to share part of an interview we did with Marina Abramović with your listeners”, you say, “ummm, OKAY!”  I’ve put a little mini episode together, featuring a 20 minute excerpt from their show, “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso”. Every Sunday, Sam invites an artist, activist, or politician to come to the table and speak from the heart… and today that person is Marina! Look’n listen right up there, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First, I want to show you the “Crystal Wall of Crying (2021)”,  located at the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in in Kyiv, Ukraine:

“The Crystal Wall of Crying is Marina Abramovic’s reflection on the tragedy of Babyn Yar and the Holocaust. It symbolizes the terrible impact of mass murder on collective memory and the healing potential of focused reflection for future generations. The wall creates a special space where everyone can think, remember, reflect on the tragic events of the past and draw personal conclusions. Interaction with natural quartz crystals seeks to heal the wounds of the past by reconnecting with individual body experiences. (The Crystal Wall of Crying is forty meters long and three meters high and consists of anthracite and 75 quartz crystals. Visitors are invited to interact with the crystals and meditate.)

Hopefully this crystal-filled wall will bring the healing to the people of Ukraine again, one day very soon.

Of course, we can’t mention Marina without mentioning “The Artist Is Present” at MoMA in 2010:

Did you go to this? I didn’t, but I’m so curious what it was like to be there in person? Amazing? Weird? Both?

And finally, since we were flies on the wall of Marina’s New York apartment, how about a little look:

Wait… she’s a regular person with a couch and cozy socks? Yep, we’re all just people. Thanks so much to Sam Fragoso and Pushkin Podcast Network for inviting me share this with all of you, and speaking of YOU… thanks for listening! I’ll be back with the second part of my conversation with Petah Coyne next weekend.

Other links:

1. “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso”
2. Sam’s full interview with Marina…
3. Marina Abramović
4. “Crystal Wall of Crying”, Ukraine
5. “The Artist Is Present”, MoMA
6. Marco Anelli Studio (Photographer)

SO, where to begin? At the beginning, of course. I asked San Francisco based artist Leah Rosenberg if she was an artsy kid… and I found out we have more in common than I ever could have imagined! Intrigued? Perfect. Listen right up there under Leah painting her installation/mural at SFMoMA, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First up, “Everywhere A Color”. This is the work that stopped me mid-sprint at the San Francisco Airport:

Oooh, I do love a good color legend! How could I not stop to take a closer look!?

I also got to see “Gather and Break” in person at the Facebook offices in Menlo Park, California:

Obviously, I loved this too.

My favorite thing about Leah’s work (besides the stunning use of color, of course) is the personal presence required. Here’s a peek into her space at the Vermont Studio Center residency, where she created “Every Day A Color”… starting with GREEN, representing the blades of grass Leah noticed poking through the snow:

Brilliant. Also brilliant… Leah’s friend, artist Susan O’Malley‘s book, titled “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self”:

These are photos I took of my personal copy… it’s on my mantle as we speak, and I love it and its wise contents oh so very much.

Leah and I talked about a few of the projects they did together, “A Healing Walk”, located at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, CA:

Sigh. So beautiful. I think we should all go for a healing walk… as soon as you finish listening to this episode!

And then, of course, there’s this beautiful, inspiring, massive undertaking:

“Getting Better Every Day A Color” at SFMoMA. What an absolutely beautiful homage to a friend and fellow artist. I’m sure Susan was with her for every colorful step.

And finally, I can’t finish this post without showing you just a little bit of Leah’s cake:

NO MORE CAKE, said her prof!? Forget that… I say MORE cake! Thank you so much to Leah for taking so much time to share her stories with me; thanks to Create Magazine (and their CALL FOR ART!) for supporting this episode; and as always, huge thanks to you for listening. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Leah’s website
2. Leah on Instagram
3. Emily Carr University
4. California College of the Arts
5. Vermont Studio Center, Residency Program
6. Susan O’Malley, Artist
7. “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self”, Book
8. Miette Bakery / Blue Bottle Coffee
9. Create Magazine / CALL FOR ART

You guys, somehow I managed to get American artist Sandy Skoglund on my podcast! I actually learned about Sandy in an art history class waaaay back in the early 90’s, and here we are today, chatting!? We talked for over 2 hours, and every story was a gem. Aside from hearing about how her installation photographs filled with cheese doodles and neon green cats came to be, I also found out that she worked at Disneyland’s SpaceBar in high school, painted baby faces on cakes in Detroit to pay for grad school, and she even did a little go-go dancing to help cover the rent for her New York studio… and that’s just the tip of the fabulous iceberg! Listen right up there under Sandy and her plaster cats, or subscribe to ART FOR YOUR EAR on Apple Podcasts.

First up, let’s go back to one of her first series of photographs… shot in a mobile home in Upstate New York in the summer of 1977:

See, Sandy said she went out and bought dolls. She wasn’t kidding!

Next, “PEAS ON A PLATE”… and more very organized food:

… and, from peas and carrots, one would obviously move onto spoons and hangers:

Ah! Iconic “Sandy Skoglund” pieces… and to find out they were shot in the same tiny apartment turned studio. So. Cool! Speaking of which, a tiny peek at Sandy’s huge portfolio of photographed installations, starting with her green cats, of course:

Yesssss! Plaster cats, clay fish, chewed gum, cheez doodles, and soooo much pop corn.

And finally, this is “The Wedding”. Walls coated in strawberry jam, floor covered in marmalade:

Whoa. That is A LOT of strawberry jam ‘n marmalade. Genius. Thank you so, so much to Sandy for coming on the podcast and sharing so many wonderful stories; thanks to Create Magazine for supporting this episode; and as always, huge thanks to you for listening! There will be a brand new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR in two weeks.

ps. I HAD to include this… the discarded cat on a stranger’s windowsill! Ah-mazing.

Other links:

1. Sandy’s site
2. Sandy on Instagram
3. Jellybean Performance, 1975
4. Smith College
5. University of Iowa
6. Sorbonne University, Paris
7. Claes Oldenburg, Artist
8. Petah Coyne, Artist
9. Create Magazine / January 30th deadline

Works on paper, the wall, and … um … filling the entire room! This fabulous collection of textures and color is the work of American artist Liz Miller. Here’s a snippet from her artist statement:

“I create elaborate site-specific installations that are equal parts absurd, menacing, and poetic. Pattern and tactility confuse and complicate identification, camouflaging recognizable forms and evoking recognition when applied to non-objective forms. The tensions between fact/fiction and dimensionality/flatness are endlessly fascinating to me, playing out in my work as a dialogue between reality and illusion.”

Absurd, menacing, and poetic… love, love, love! ps. Not only is she a working artist, Liz is also a Professor of Installation and Drawing at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Are you tired? If not, listening to everything Vancouver based artist Sandeep Johal is doing might make you wanna take a nap! Murals, residencies, installations, solo shows… oh, and she also has a 6 year old son. Told ya. This busy, full-time artist went to university for… biology? Yep. She refers to her twenties as ‘the lost years’, but as you can see, she is now very much found! Listen right up there under Sandeep beside one of her murals, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

So, where should we even start? Well, let’s jump in with just the tiniest peek at a few of Sandeep’s murals:

So fantastic, and seriously, there are a lot more where these came from. Keep an eye on her Instagram feed, because there is always a new wall being prepped!

Alright, let’s take a step back to the work Sandeep was just starting when I met her. Here are just a few of Sandeep’s very emotional “Rest In Power” goddesses:

The piece in the middle is Natsumi Kogawa, the Japanese woman Sandeep mentioned. It’s so horrific that this series could go on and on and on. Hopefully their stories will be heard, and justice will prevail.

That’s not an easy topic to segue from, but there is more work to show you. Here are a few of Sandeep’s ‘beast’ collages:

Yes, this is exactly what we were talking about! Different mediums, but still very much Sandeep’s style. FYI,  these pieces are currently available through @vanartrental … just sayin’.

Speaking of beasts, here’s a look at “Beast of Burden” Sandeep’s final show for her residency at the Burrard Arts Foundation:

So fantastic! This was Sandeep’s first foray into textiles and, yeah, she nailed it. And, of course, there was so much talk about Pennylane and Jamie that I had to pop this photo in!

And finally — oh my word this is so good — “What If?”. This installation is on right now, until December 11th, at the Surrey Art Gallery in Surrey, British Columbia:

Custom wallpaper, too!? Love. If you’re anywhere near Vancouver between now and mid December, get yourself over to the Surrey Art Gallery to see this show in person… So. Many. Details!

Let’s wrap things up with a little ‘how it started / how it’s going’ combo, shall we:

Oh hell yes! From a birthday girl at McDonald’s to a MAMA BEAST! Thank you so much to Sandeep for taking the time to tell us all of her stories; thanks to Storyblocks for supporting the episode, and great big thanks to YOU for listening. I’ll be back with a new episode of ART FOR YOUR EAR in two weeks.

Other links:

1. Sandeep on Instagram
2. Sandeep’s website
3. “What If” / Surrey (BC) Art Gallery until Dec. 11
4. “Beast of Burden” / BAF Residency
5. Thrive (Founder Jamie Smith)
6. Pennylane Shen, Artist Consultant
7. Sara Khan, Artist
8. Crissy Arseneau, Artist
9. Vancouver Mural Festival
10. VAG (Vancouver Art Gallery) Art Rental & Sales
11. Storyblocks

More art you can eat!? Nope. This gummie-ish chandelier is actually resin, but ooooh, I can almost taste those fruity butterflies! This is the latest work of New York based artist Braxton Congrove – an installation, titled “Celestial Cherry”, shown in March at Peep in Philadelphia. Here’s a lovely description by the show’s curator:

“The exhibition’s focal piece, an intricate multicolored, multilayered chandelier radiates within Peep’s space. Made of cast resin, gradating colors, and occasionally flecks of glitter, the glass-like material casts a translucent glow from its singular light source. Emulating ornate Renaissance interiors, the chandelier’s chains drip with a series of cherry, butterfly, strawberry, banana, and star-shaped charms. A celebration of the beauty in the cheap consumerism of acrylic nail charms, jelly shoes, and Haribo gummies, Celestial Cherry pulls from nostalgia and the heavens, swaddling its viewer in a blanket of escapism.” ~ Julia Greenway, Curator

Yum! Follow Braxton on Instagram at @braxtoncongrove

Oh. My. Word. This is just the tip of the absolutely breathtaking iceberg that is the work of New York based artist and educator Beverly Semmes. She’s a sculptor who incorporates painting, film, photography and performance so, yes, her portfolio is immense. That said, I clearly have a thing for her series of large-scale dresses that flow across the floor, filling entire rooms! She became known for these works in the 1990’s, but if you keep an eye out you can still find recent additions to the series {ie., the piece at the top, titled “Bow (Blue Curtain)”, is from 2016.} This is how Beverly describes these installations:

Imposing and majestic, the dresses cascade down walls, conjuring wearers of power and size.

So powerful. Just imagine seeing that pink piece {complete with wearer!}, titled “Petunia, 2002”, in person? Majestic, indeed.

*Images found via Susan Inglett Gallery & Shoshana Wayne Gallery.

Gasp! This installation, titled “Manifestation 8 : Permutation 1”, is the latest work by American artist Samuelle Green. I wrote about her beehive-like work {made from zillions of paper cones!} in 2019, and so the second I saw these pink velvet chairs show up on Instagram… well, I knew I had to write again! This piece was part of two-person show with Liz Miller, titled “Fiber Filled”, at Spartanburg Art Museum in South Carolina. Here’s a description of Samuelle’s work from her website:

There is structure and design inherent in the natural world which we constantly draw from and take for granted. We generally fail to acknowledge the skill, time, and detail required to manifest the intricate structures found in objects we encounter regularly – such as those found in bird and wasp nests, beehives, spider webs, rock formations, anthills, feathers, and countless others. Samuelle’s work, especially the large scale installations, reference these forms – inspiring contemplation. These natural forms are often met with human made, found objects.

Sigh. Beautiful.

Seattle based artist Emily Counts makes the most magical ceramic sculptures. Some of them hang on the wall, interlocked into beautiful narratives, while others tell their stories standing free… and ALL of them are gorgeous / make me wish i knew how to use a kiln! I have questions about Emily’s childhood {because for some reason I always want to know that part!}, we talked about how she found her way to ceramics, her current process, stained glass, mushrooms, grief, grandmothers, haircuts and more. Don’t worry. It’ll make sense. Look/listen under that lovely photo of Emily in her studio {shot by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine}, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify.

Let’s kick things off with the first piece of Emily’s I ever saw / instantly became obsessed with. It’s titled, “Forage and Pour”:

Looooooove. And yes, I popped another one of her wall pieces in there because, um, how could I not. It’s titled “Catenary Vessel”, and I love it too!

Next, Emily’s CERAMIC MURAL {!?}:

Isn’t that crazy amazing!? You might recognize it because I wrote about it, IN DETAIL, last summer. This was at Facebook’s Redmond, WA location, and part of their Artist-in-Residence program.

Oooh, next… some “portraits”, complete with stained glass eyes etc:

Aren’t they lovely? And they have Emily’s bangs!

Up next, interlocking vessels:

Ah, the mushrooms and flowers she talked about. Magical. Also, I really want to see Emily and her husband try to drink ginger tea out of these at the same time.

Finally, a peek at Emily’s current show, titled Souvenir. at Nationale in Portland:

See? This is why I’m such a HUGE fan of Emily. Oh my word, it’s all so gorgeous. I put in that final image so you could get a better look at the glass. What a renaissance woman! She make do it allllllll. Oh, and great news if you’re in Portland, this show has been extended until July 8th. Thank you so much to Emily for sharing all of her stories with us {and for encouraging me to get a kiln!!!}; thanks to Wireframe for supporting this episode; and great big thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR  YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Emily on Instagram
2. Bio photo of Emily by Amber Fouts for Luxe Magazine
3. “Souvenir” at Nationale {until July 8}
4. studio e gallery {Seattle}
5. SOIL show!… Brooklynn Johnson / Rachel Thomander / Ko Kirk Yamahira
6. Susannah Montague, Sculptor
7. Wireframe {Podcast}