Concerning The Spiritual In Art Martin Benson

In this episode I am joined by visual artist Dan Huston.  During this episode Dan and I had an incredible conversation around his highly disciplined and prolific drawing practice. We talked about his origins with art and why drawing seems to speak to him so inimitably compared to any other medium. We discuss our shared interests in the magic of the natural world along with the mirroring of forms in both the micro and macro cosmic scales.  We also touch upon his playful and organic approach to his work, and the motivations that drive his commitment to his art practice.

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Dan Huston (b. 1992) currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He received a BA in environmental studies and studio art from Bates College in 2014. He makes intuitive drawings and works exclusively in colored pencil.

 danhuston.com     

 instagram.com/dhton 



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I am super excited to share this episode with visual artist, Laura Payne.  Laura and I have an exciting discussion around ideas of multiple dimensions and how to express the feeling of these other dimensional spaces on a 2-D surface. We talk about her process and how important it is to just show up and get to work in the studio.  Laura touches upon how her way of understanding her work has changed a lot recently, especially in the wake of reading the book “The Creative Act: A Way Of Being” by Rick Rubin.  Laura and I also talk about the power of intuition and how hard it can be to embrace but how ultimately crucial it is.  

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Laura Payne (b. 1987, Ottawa) is a visual artist based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. She received her BFA from the University of Western Ontario in 2010, and her MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her paintings and electronic media works have been exhibited at public galleries, commercial galleries, artist-run centres, festivals, and art fairs across North America -- in Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC. Payne has received support from the Saskatchewan Arts Board, Ontario Arts Council, Calgary Arts Development, and Canada Council for the Arts. She was a finalist for the RBC Canadian Painting Competition in 2017, culminating in a finalist exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada. Payne is represented commercially by Galerie Robertson Ares (Montreal) and Slate Fine Art Gallery (Regina).INSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/alaurapayne/WEBSITEhttps://www.laurapayne.net/UPCOMING:-- November 2023"moments," group exhibition at Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco-- December 2023"Saturnalia", group exhibition at Slate Fine Art Gallery, Regina-- January-February 2024Artist in Residence program at the Residence Inn by Marriott, Calgary-- April 2024Solo exhibition at Galerie Robertson Ares, Montreal



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In this episode I have Danish artist, Rebekka Borum on the podcast.  Rebekka and I had an incredible dialogue around her work and her journey as an artist, going from studying technology and design, to working purely analog as a painter. We talked about her evolution as an artist, exploring differing kinds of substrates as well as the evolution in her understanding of her relationship to her creative process.  We dove deep into a discussion around abstraction, math, geometry, and how this kind of visual language can be a gateway to powerful emotional experiences.  Rebekah has such a disciplined and inspiring art practice and I know you all are going to love this episode and love her seeing her work!

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Rebekka Borum (b. 1992) is a visual artist from Denmark with a BA in Art and Technology from Aalborg University. In her artistic exploration she has developed an abstract, geometric, visual language inspired by mathematical formulas, yet expressed through the analogue medium; paint on canvas. This exploration has evolved throughout the years to be progressively more organic, both in appearance and medium. Drawing inspiration from the microscopic and macroscopic, she is delving into the very meaning of life through her vivid gradients painted on canvas and wooden sculptural objects. Borum's works have been shown in galleries and art institutions several places in Denmark for the last six years, as well as at Knew Conscious Gallery and Ryan Joseph Gallery in Denver, US. In her recent career, she has also created art installations for a hospital and a day care institution.

Links: 

Website: www.rebekka-borum.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebekka_borum

Documentary: https://vimeo.com/631244343

Interview: https://www.liftedlab.com/blog/2022/7/29/interview-rebekka-borum-and-erika

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Credits: Big Thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the podcast theme music!


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For this episode I am joined by visual artist Stephanie Gonzalez. Together we have a deep and vulnerable discussion around spiritual seeking, healing, and a new movement in art.  Stephanie shares about her background, growing up in Mexico and how her art practiced transformed when she learned to let go of her anger and find stillness within.  We talked about the power and importance of mediation and how those experience can inform art making.  Stephanie shares a lot about her own evolution and her amazing perspective on being an artist during these challenging and confusing times.  

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Born in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1988, Stephanie Gonzalez's art journey is a fusion of Mexican and American influences. Inspired by her grandfather's admiration for Bob Ross, she began creating at 14. Stephanie's work evolved from landscapes to powerful abstractions, where she embraced intuition over technique.

 Stephanie draws from her experiences as a lesbian Mexican woman, channeling her emotions into mixed media works using vintage magazines and discarded materials. After earning a Bachelor's in Interior Design from the Art Institute of Houston, she pursued a Master's in Fine Art, broadening her scope to sculpture and conceptual art. Stephanie's art now graces international collections, including prestigious venues like Starwood Hotels and the CICA Museum in South Korea. Stephanie's work has been shown in museums such as The Masur Museum of Art in Louisiana and the Holocaust Museum in Houston, and she shows her work in various galleries around the U.S. She has received awards from the Glassell School of Art, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, and Rising Eyes of Texas.

 Her recent work explores geometric landscapes, delving into the spiritual and the interconnected. Stephanie Gonzalez's art continues to captivate and evolve, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary art.



website: https://www.stephaniegonzalez.net/

instagram: @me_gusta_pintar_si

tiktok: @megustapintarsi

 

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In this episode with visual artist, art historian, and writer Alessandro Keegan, we have magical dialogue around esoterica, alchemy, and spiritual practices in relation to visual art. We learn about Alessandro’s thought process and approach to his magical paintings.  We talk about the emergence of this genre of artwork into the mainstream and what that could mean about the deeply transformative times we are living in.  

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Alessandro Keegan (b. 1980) is a visual artist, writer and art history professor with an MFA in painting and drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a MA in art history from Brooklyn College. Keegan, who has training as a gemologist, worked at the Gemological Institute of America in New York until 2012, while completing his education. He currently lives and works in the Hudson Valley town of Walden, New York.

Keegan’s paintings have been exhibited in New York, Chicago, London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Macau, The Hague, and many other cities around the world. His art can be found in the permanent collection of the College of Psychic Studies, in London, alongside historical artists of the occult. In 2023, Keegan had his first solo exhibition in New York City at Waterhouse and Dodd Gallery. His most recent exhibition was at the Macau Museum of Art, as part of the Macau International Art Biennale, on view from July 28th-October 29th, 2023.

Writings about his work have appeared in Artsy, ArtMaze Magazine, Artforum, Cultured Magazine, Elephant Magazine, and Masthead Magazine as well as journals such as Helvete (Punctum Books, Brooklyn) and J’ai Froid (Castillo/ Corrales, Paris). Keegan’s art practice and ideas are the subject of a short documentary film called “The Matter of Mind”, released in 2020 by Full Moon Films. Keegan is also a writer, and will have a forthcoming essay in "Enchanted Pedagogies: Archetypes, Magic, and Knowledge", an anthology edited by Kari Adelaide Razdow, published by Brill publishers.



website: https://www.alessandrokeegan.com/

Substack: https://alessandrokeegan.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alessandro_keegan/

Gallery: https://www.waterhousedodd.com/

Matter of Mind (documentary): https://vimeo.com/482193743



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Credits: Big Thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the podcast theme music!

 


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In this episode with visual artist, Kristin Farr, we dive deep into a discussion around folk art and folk magic. We talk about these influences in Kristin’s work, how they came to be, and how she utilizes them within her dynamic practice making paintings and murals. 

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Kristin’s paintings are directed by color and influenced by folk art practices, synesthesia and ideas about magic. Her large-scale murals can be found in California and internationally, and she has exhibited her work in galleries around the US. Recently, she has been experimenting with ceramic sculpture. Kristin is also Deputy Editor of Juxtapoz Magazine and has produced many curatorial programs and documentary film projects about contemporary art. 

https://www.instagram.com/kristinfarr/

http://www.kristinfarr.com/

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*To contribute to the creation of this show, along with access to other exclusive content, consider subscribing for $0.99/month on Instagram (Link above)

Credits: Big Thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the podcast theme music!

 


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