Pep Talks for Artists – Details, episodes & analysis

Today I'm taking us on a space, art and space-art journey. Because, I've been thinking about how when William Shatner recently went up to space in Bezos' rocket, he saw in real life what he had always pretended to see on TV: space and the final frontier. But to his shock and horror, he...sort of hated it: At least he hated the outer space view. He quaked in the face of all that vast emptiness and ended up with a new appreciation for our warm "Mother" Earth.

I.e. "Beam me down, Scotty."

And in this way, I think an artist could adopt a William Shatner in Space ideology: and try to appreciate the gifts we each have right now (time, space, adequate health, and freedom to create), versus caving into the dark matter horrors of compare & despair, and worry over not achieving the right career benchmarks.

Artists/Works mentioned: "The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise" by Giovanni di Paolo (1445), "Galaxy (Hydra)" Vija Celmins (1974), "The Moon Museum" Robert Rauschenberg, David Novros, John Chamberlain, Claes Oldenburg, Forrest Myers and Andy Warhol (Possibly sent on the Apollo 12 Moon Mission-1969), "The Wave" by Astronaut, Nicole Stott (2009)

William Shatner's book: "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder"

Frank White's book: "The Overview Effect"

More about Astronaut, Nicole Stott's first-ever painting in space: http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-070816b-astronaut-artist-nicole-stott.html

More about The Moon Museum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Museum

Thank you for listening!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

We're back!

This is the second part of our deep dive on drawing. I asked my artist-guests: Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty to bring along a fave drawing from art history to share and describe what "drew" them to it (please forgive the pun). It was so fun to see what they selected.

See images of all of the works on IG @peptalksforartists

The drawings discussed were:

1) "The Grotto of Neptune in Tivoli" ca 1640 by Claude Lorrain

2) Rocks near the caves above Château Noir (Rochers à Bibémus) 1895/00 by Paul Cézanne, Watercolor on paper 18¼ by 12 in.

3) "Moon and Clouds" 1945 by George Ault

4) Ledger Drawing ca. 1875-78 attributed to William Cohoe, Cheyenne, Central Plains, Inscribed "Cheyenne Soldiers"

Find my guests online here:

David Humprhrey: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Jennifer Coates: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

Catherine Haggarty: ⁠web⁠ and ⁠IG⁠

See more Ledger Drawings at DonaldEllisGallery.com:

https://www.donaldellisgallery.com/offerings/plains-indian-drawings

Artists also mentioned: Georges Seurat ("Monkey"), Alexander Cozens, Caspar David Friedrich, Julia Gleich (choreographer)

Books mentioned: "Lake Superior" by Lorine Niedecker, "Keeping Time: Plains Indian Ledger Drawings 1865-1900" (pub by Donald Ellis Gallery)

Catherine's show "Just Drawing" online at Geary Contemporary: ⁠https://geary.nyc/exhibition/just-drawing-catherine-haggarty/

You can watch the original IG Live video of my guests' panel talk at Geary here: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9qMilKRs-f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==⁠⁠

Thank you for listening!

All music by Soundstripe

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks Website: ⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

What do a comment made on the Great British Bake-Off, a 1970's television interview with southern author, Eudora Welty, and a Michigan Mer-man have in common? Glad you asked! They all explore ideas of monstrousness, the topic of this episode -- specifically channeling our inner monstrous creative selves to create work that is rich, bold, memorable and unique.

[Evil laugh of Nosferatu]

Come along with me on my search for aspirational creative monstrosity.

Television programs mentioned:

"Great British Bakeoff:" Season 11, Episode 3, Rowan Claughton with Paul Hollywood

"Firing Line" with William F. Buckley: "The Southern Imagination in Literature" 1972 with Eudora Welty and Walker Percy

Artists mentioned: Francisco José de Goya, Jean Dubuffet, James Ensor, Francis Bacon, The Monster Roster group (Chicago), Brenda Goodman ("Self-Portrait 2” 1994), Steve DiBenedetto ("Rosemary's Baby's Baby" 2021), Whit Harris ("Maiden" 2023) and Louise Bourgeois ("Femme" 2006)

Publications mentioned: "Where Is the Voice Coming From" a short story by Eudora Welty, "Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art" book by Lauren Elkin, "Monsters of the Midwest: True Tales of Bigfoot, Werewolves & Other Legendary Creatures" book by Jessica Freeburg and Natalie Fowler

All music by Soundstripe

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Peps has a Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today.

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

This week, painter and installation artist, Jesse Bransford, joins me to discuss his magic and occult-inspired work. 

We discussed the meanings behind the sigils and circles he embeds in his work, his fascination with the magician Surrealist, Kurt Seligmann, and his thoughts on the role of the artist as a practitioner of vision, generosity and belief.

Find Jesse Bransford online at:

web: https://www.jessebransford.com/

ig: @jessebransford

get his book: UK: https://fulgur.co.uk/books/fourthandfifthpyramids/?v=7516fd43adaa / US: https://namepublications.org/item/2023/jesse-bransford-the-fourth-and-fifth-pyramids/

octagon house: https://www.chronogram.com/home/a-wayward-spirit-finds-home-16469398

Hyperallergic article by Allison Meier about "Language of the Birds: Occult and Art,"  New York University’s 80WSE Gallery: https://hyperallergic.com/270566/recreating-the-magic-circle-of-a-surrealist-seriously-into-the-occult/

Kurt Seligmann's Magical Evening: https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/surrealismandmagic/exhibition/images/200pxw/SAM_528.jpg

Kurt Seligmann's Book: "Mirror of Magic"

Maurice Tuchman's Book: "The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985" (find on ebay or amazon)

More about Jesse:

Jesse Bransford is a New York-based artist whose work is exhibited internationally at venues including The Carnegie Museum of Art, the UCLA Hammer Museum, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center and the CCA Wattis Museum among others. He holds degrees from the New School for Social Research (BA), Parsons School of Design (BFA) and Columbia University (MFA). A professor of art at New York University, Bransford's work has been involved with belief and the visual systems it creates since the 1990s. Work has been presented in books from Fulgur Press, “A Book of Staves (Galdrastafabók),” and most recently “The Fourth and Fifth Pyramids.” He lectures widely on his work and the topics surrounding his work. He is the co-organizer of the biennial Occult Humanities Conference and an editorial member of the Black Mirror Network.

Thank you, Jesse! Thank you, Pep Talks Patrons!

Thank you to my sponsor The Pack Art School: https://thepack.art/artistrebirthcycle

All music by Soundstripe

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Peps has a Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today.

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

We're back with Part 2 of our review of "The Artists Way" by Julia Cameron! In this half of our deep dive into the book, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and I finish recounting our experiences following the program of this famous creativity self-help juggernaut.

Today in Part 2, we discuss:

1. Sychronicity & Carl Jung

2. Our personal artist dates

3. What writing the Morning Pages felt like

4. Things in The Artist's Way that we disliked

5. “Clusters” & those who charge to run AW groups

6. Amy's "The Artist's Way Cringe Corner™"

7. And more insights from Julia Cameron's autobiography: "Floor Sample."

Mandy's mentions:

American Masters: "Everybody Knows … Elizabeth Murray" (PBS)

Alan Watts Being in the Way Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3RZiM62g8XYE4PuEF2EleN?si=5a58f0c5df8d4c1f

Alison Bechdel Graphic Novels: https://dykestowatchoutfor.com/

Critical blogs that we referenced:

Kore Sage Blog: https://koresageart.com/blog/reading-deprivation-week-the-artists-way/

From Jenn Blog: https://www.fromjenn.com/blog/why-i-dont-write-morning-pages-and-what-i-do-instead

Please find Mandolyn Wilson Rosen online here: ⁠mandolynwilsonrosen.com⁠ and IG ⁠@mandolyn_rosen⁠

Thank you, Mandy! Thank you Patrons! Thank you Peps Listeners!

All music by Soundstripe

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Peps has a Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today.

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Book Talks is back! And so is artist, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen, to help me tackle the OG creativity self help book: "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. We gave ourselves over body and soul to The Way for 12 weeks and lived to tell the tale...in two parts. Please join us as we share our experiences with the book (and some sprinkled-in context gleaned from Cameron's autobiography "Floor Sample").

Today in Part 1, we discuss:

1. Each of our favorite sections/quotes

2. The most challenging parts of doing the book (morning pages, tasks, artist's dates, the chapter readings

3. How “good” were we at doing all TAW parts?

4. The God Question. Is there too much God talk in there?

5. Personal revelations about our work or ourselves that came from doing the book

And don't miss the second part of our convo (Part 2-Ep 63) out now!

Please find Mandolyn Wilson Rosen online here: mandolynwilsonrosen.com and IG @mandolyn_rosen

Thank you, Mandy! Thank you Patrons! Thank you Peps Listeners!

All music by Soundstripe

----------------------------

Peps has a Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today.

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

This episode is all about a fascinating British TV art reality show that I once gleefully watched completely pirated, through the kindness of Cherzo, a modern day Robin Reddit-Hood. You can check out the show: "Portrait Artist of the Year" on Amazon, if you are so intrigued!

Artists mentioned: Alice Neel, Frederick Hayes, and Tai Shan Schierenberg (Judge for the show).

Thank you, Listeners! Thank you, Pep Talks Patrons!

All music by Soundstripe

----------------------------

Peps has a Patreon! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today.

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠@talluts⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

Artist, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen, is back with me for another Book Talks episode! In this episode, we are reading Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists," published 1550/1568 which profiles famous High Renaissance, mostly Florentine artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Boticcelli, and a few lesser-knowns. We were so excited about the book that we ran deliciously long and decided to cut it up and make it a two-parter.

In Part 1, we cover Vasari's takes on Giotto, Masaccio, Piero Della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Fra Filippo Lippi, and Madonna Properzia de Rossi (the only woman in the book, and who was even left out of Mandy's earlier English translation!) Part 2 is coming right up - please keep an eye out.

Shout out to artist and writer, Elisabeth Nicula, who we quoted in the episode, and to the books that helped form Vasari's masterwork: "The Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio and "The Life of Brunelleschi." Also, a tip of the cap to the Virgin's Holy Girdle of Prato, shown to the public only 4 times a year: https://irenebrination.typepad.com/irenebrination_notes_on_a/2017/07/girdle-cintola-prato.html (Really, no one can out-weird the Catholics)

The book is available widely, both used and new! We recommend a skim, not a binge.

Find Mandolyn Wilson Rosen online at: https://mandolynwilsonrosen.com/

Thank you to artist, Amy McCormac, for your kind Buy Me A Coffee donation this month!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amy on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations appreciated!

We're baaacckk! Mandolyn Wilson Rosen and I have returned for Part 2 to finish our report on Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists," a combo-bio of Florentine High Renaissance artists from the 1580's. Pull up a carved high-backed chair, grab yourself a goblet of watered-down wine and join us for the continuation of our journey back to this fabled time in Italian art.

In Part 2, we cover Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Jacopo da Pontormo, Michelangelo, and Titian (with some discussion of Albrecht Durer as well). In the Boticelli section, Mandy references this article by Alexxa Gotthardt on Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-botticellis-birth-venus-challenged-depictions-nude-art

Please visit our sponsor, The New York Studio School, to enroll for their wonderful Marathon courses (by Sept 8) or for over a dozen different 11 week Evening & Weekend Courses (by Sept 18) at NYSS.org

Find your own copy of "Lives of the Artists" by Giorgio Vasari at your public library or at most online bookstores. The 1991 English Translation by Julia and Peter Bondanella includes the lone woman artist in Vasari: Sculptor Madonna Properzia de Rossi. Earlier translations often exclude her, so keep an eye out if buying used!

Mandolyn Wilson Rosen is online here: website: https://mandolynwilsonrosen.com/home.html and IG: https://www.instagram.com/mandolyn_rosen/

Amy Talluto is online here: website: https://www.amytalluto.com/ and IG: https://www.instagram.com/talluts/

Thanks for listening!

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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠@peptalksforartists⁠

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠

Amy's Interview on Two Coats of Paint: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/2v2ywnb3⁠

Amy's website: ⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠ Amy on IG: ⁠@talluts⁠

⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠ Donations appreciated!

Happy Holidays! It's the Peppiest of the Peps! Please enjoy this collection of plummy sugar plum quotes by the some of the guests of Pep Talks Past. Some cherished encouraging words have been said over the years, and I have gathered them for us here.

Also, listen to the end to hear a 3 minute Shakespearean radio play I made with ChatGPT based on the podcast tagline: "to all those shuffling along the artists' road." Find out what a computer thinks will inspire us.

Thank you to all of the artists who were kind enough to let me interview them and also to those who have allowed me to pluck their bon-mots for this peppy parade of clips:

Artists and intreviews referenced in this episode:

Ep 11: Jennifer Coates

Ep 12: Sharon Butler

Ep 21: Emilia Olsen and Keisha Prioleau Martin

Ep 23: Portia Munson

Ep 26: Shari Mendelson

Ep 29: Ever Baldwin

Bonus Ep: How to Host a Studio Visit w/ Catherine Haggarty & NYC Crit Club

Bonus Ep: The Longevity of an Art Practice w Sarah Grass & The Pack Art School

Ep 35: Elizabeth Weiss

Ep 37: Paula Wilson

Ep 40: Natalie Beall

Ep 48: Catherine Haggarty

Ep 49: Julia Gleich

Ep 54: Judy Glantzman **

Ep 59: Elisabeth Condon

**To inquire about working with Judy Glantzman, please reach out via email: JudyGlantzman at gmail dot com or DM on IG @judyglantzman

A link to the ChatGPT play "Artists' Journey Unveiled" as written text: https://chat.openai.com/share/8a69d9a6-d7d6-4d2c-ad31-cb0f14b499c2

Music / FX:

"The Britons" © K MacLeod 2022 / Pixabay

Characters made with Voice Morphing/TTS: Altered AI

All other music and sound effects by Soundstripe

Thank you, Listeners! Thank you, Pep Talks Patrons!

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Peps has a Patreon! If you are a Peps fan and would love more pep talks in your life, please consider supporting the podcast financially on Patreon at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! For $5 a month, patrons receive exclusive mini Pep-isodes monthly or bimonthly, delivered directly to their email inbox with a clickable link. No tech savviness required! Also, patrons receive early access to not-yet-released full episodes, fresh out the oven. Join the Peps fam on Patreon and become a part of the Pep Talks Peerage today. Find out more here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PepTalksforArtists⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amy, your beloved host, on IG: @talluts

Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!