I always read books and listen to podcasts when making a new body of work. They provide inspiration and help me to process, understand, and articulate the meaning behind the pieces. Recently I read
Letters to a Young Poet by
Rainer Maria Rilke and then read it two more times. Rilke writes about being an artist, finding inspiration and motivation, and the importance of solitude, among other topics. This is a favorite quote and the one that brought me to read the letters in their entirety:
"What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours - that is what you must be able to attain."
I'm enjoying the writings of
Agnes Martin, too, as well as an
interview with her; her words are appropriate for the very solitary place I'm in both here in remote Iceland and in my mind as I work quietly every day. Also see more Agnes Martin on
Artsy.
I also just finished the catalogue that accompanied the
Běla Kolářová exhibition I saw at Raven Row in London in April. I am particularly interested in the implied duality in Kolářová's work and her interest in the mundane and the small. In addition, the essays in the book have lead me to some research on
deconstructivism, but I've only just begun there so I can't speak to it yet.
Finally, I've been reading a variety of short online articles about knots from ones in
the brain to others in
jewelry and mourning.
the brain and Alzheimer's Disease
As for podcasts I have been listening to lots of
TED talks including ones by
Brené Brown,
Sherry Turkle,
Susan Cain, and
Julie Bernstein about vulnerability, connection, introversion, and creativity. I recommend all these talks!
Thanks for reading.
