“Pare down to the essence, but don’t remove the poetry.”

-Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

What is the fundamental element of being human? Is there a single thing that sets us apart from our fellow creatures? Or perhaps a set of traits that does this? What is it that has caused our species to move so far beyond the bounds of nature, in some ways enhancing and in other very real ones destroying our habitat? And further, whatever it is that contributes to this otherness, do we truly believe that we are the apex species? Or have we created an elaborate fiction when in fact, it is us that can no longer exist in nature?

Fatemeh Burnes joined us for a discussion of her recent show, Subcutaneous, at High Noon Gallery in NYC. The title refers to an under-layer, of course, typically associated with the skin. Over the last decade, Burnes has focused on the things going on around her, such as her experience as an immigrant, the meaning of home and more. This led to an interest in human connection and commonalities. Regardless of what we see, we are all connected by what lies beneath. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Hulda Guzman sat down to talk about her show, They Come From Water, which recently ran at Alexander Berggruen Gallery. The works themselves were made using a lot of water. Guzman worked horizontally in order to facilitate this, allowing the pigment to conduct, so to speak. Additionally, she lives on an island where water is very present. These are just a few of the very literal ways that water connects the pieces from this exhibition. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

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