“It is possible to thwart the plans of mortal men, but never those of the gods.”

–Medusa’s Head – retold by Olivia Coolidge

In reading Greek Mythology of late, I’m drawn to consider the human condition – as well as our hubris. According to the Greeks, both were inextricably linked to the gods. Our plans and happiness, our very existence, were completely at the mercy of the benevolence – or otherwise – of the deities who ruled. In turn, to fly in the face of those deities was to thwart your own chances, to ring down the curtain on your own story by purporting to be as elevated or even above the station of the gods. Although the Greek pantheon has diminished, these qualities remain ever present in our daily lives though the influences have new monikers.

Jonathan Casella joined us to talk about his recent show, Doublestar at Harper’s Gallery in Chelsea, NYC. To Casella, the title of the show sounds perhaps like an old sci-fi film, but it refers, quite literally, to the works, which depict images of double stars. As he developed the images for this show, they took on their own personalities as they became what almost resemble their own life forms. To hear more about the exhibition and other aspects of Casella’s career, listen to the complete interview.

Susan Dory discussed her recent exhibition, Spontaneous Sights, which ran until March 11 at Winston Wächter Fine Art. The title refers mostly to the way in which things come together in moments of clarity in the studio when an artist receives the knowledge they are going in the right direction – part of what keeps them going on the path they have chosen. Among other things, the idea of Indra’s Net, which, in Eastern philosophy, is a way of describing the infinite universe. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.

Read the summary of this week's interviews and resources.