BEST OF Fresh Talk: William Pope.L

Cathy Byrd Talks Art with William Pope.L
Published 25 October 2011

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century  

William Pope.L, a critically important interventionist, is one of the artists featured in Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, the current exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Houston. In 2011, Pope.L presented a magic lantern show titled Blink for Prospect.2 New Orleans. For this project, the artist made a film from more than a thousand images donated by the people of the city. Pope.L projected the film through the back of an old ice cream truck as it was pulled through the streets of the city by volunteers.  

This Fresh Talk episode features the sounds of Blink in motion and a hint of Don Quixote. Sound Editor: Jeff T. Byrd recorded the Pope.L performance on location in New Orleans.

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Jason Forrest

Cathy Byrd Talks Music with Jason Forrest
Published 1 October 2012

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century    

Cathy Byrd connects by Skype with Jason Forrest, aka DJ DonnaSummer, a laptop musician. Based in Berlin for the past eight of years with his wife, artist Jennifer Ray, Jason talks about how he became internationally known and introduces his new platform, Network Awesome. Jason's latest news? His Network Awesome show goes live in January 2013!    


Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz     
Photos courtesy Jason Forrest   
Episode Sound in order of appearance: "New Religion" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Close to the Edge" from Close to the Edge, Yes;"The Exquisite Organs" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Bring that Beat Back" from Bring that Beat Back, Public Enemy; "Keys to the Door" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Utopia" from Utopia, Jason Forrest

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Luci Westphal

Cathy Byrd Talks Film with Luci Westphal
Published 26 November 2012

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century
      

In Berlin, Cathy Byrd meets Twitter friend Luci Westphal in a cafe near a recently condemned artists' squat just off Oranienstrasse. A German filmmaker based in New York and Berlin, Luci loves street art, music, film and the D.I.Y. style. Thousands follow Luci's moving postcard series In A Berlin Minute. Luci released her latest documentary All's Well and Fair in episodes online.     

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz     
Photographs courtesy Luci Westphal
Music: "Frogfly Buzzing," by Dioxin Dolly (Rachel Iannelli, Margaret Briggs, Tina Bushnell), 1996, from Luci Westphal, All's Well and Fair, 2012

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Land Arts of the American West

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Land Arts of the American West
Published 12 July 2012

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Conversations about Creativity in the 21st Century    
 

Professor Chris Taylor has made Land Arts of the American West an unforgettable learning experience. Through the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University, the program involves a 6,000 mile road trip, camping, a series of remote site visits and an exhibition back in Lubbock. This Fresh Talk episode is a conversation with Chris and students who participated in the 2011 Land Arts adventure.  
     

Students: Alexander Bingham, Luis Bustamante III, Will Cotton, Winston Holloway, Richard Klaja, Celeste Martinez, Zachary Mitchell, Carl Spartz, Rachael Wilson, Bethany Wood. Program Assistant: Adrian Larriva. Program Director: Chris Taylor.  
    

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz      

Photos: Chris Taylor, Cathy Byrd and Joe DeMarco       

Sound: 45 rpm record found by Land Arts 2011 participants

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Joan Jonas

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Joan Jonas
Published 28 May 2012

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Our listeners love Joan Jonas. A seminal contemporary performance artist, she has profoundly influenced the genre. Cathy Byrd watched Joan perform "The Shape, The Scent, The Feel of Things" twice this year—first, in Austin, Texas, and later, in Kassel, Germany. Each time, she and her collaborator, American jazz musician Jason Moran, filled the house and met standing ovations. Having featured Joan's work in a 1994 retrospective, the Stedelijk Museum dedicated a salon to Joan for the venue's re-opening exhibition. Fresh Art International was there.    

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz
Photos: known credits noted
Music: Jason Moran, He Takes His Coat and Leaves

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Carolina Grau

Cathy Byrd Talks Art with Carolina Grau
Published August 6, 2012
This BEST OF Fresh Talk episode was recorded in Barcelona, home base for curator Carolina Grau's international practice.

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Conversations about Creativity in the 21st Century        

In Barcelona, Cathy Byrd speaks with Carolina Grau, an independent curator from Spain, who has created projects in London, Madrid, Lisbon, Sao Paulo and Paris. Carolina describes what she learned as a facilitator for Rachel Whiteread and the late Juan Muñoz; her curatorial residency at the Center for Contemporary Art, Noisy-le-Sec; the evolution of her work with Martin Creed (Cubitt Gallery and Tate Modern, London; Sala Alcalá, Madrid); and how locals get involved with the one-weekend D.I.Y. biennial she co-organizes with Mario Flecha, in the village of Jafre, Spain.

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz      
Photos: Courtesy the artists and Carolina Grau, except where noted     
Sound: Martin Creed, Thinking, Not Thinking

En Barcelona, ​​Cathy Byrd habla con Carolina Grau, comisaria independiente de España que ha creado proyectos en Londres, Madrid, Lisboa, Sao Paulo y París. Carolina describe lo que aprendió como facilitadora para los artistas Rachel Whiteread y Juan Muñoz, su residencia curatorial en el Centro de Arte Contemporáneo en Noisy-le-Sec, la evolución de su trabajo con Martin Creed (Cubitt Gallery y la Tate Modern, Londres; Sala Alcalá, Madrid); y cómo durante un fin de semana, la gente se involucra en la D.I.Y. bienal que co-organiza con Mario Flecha, en Jafre, España. 

Fresh Talk: Sarah Hobbs

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century

 
Cathy Byrd speaks on Skype with photographer Sarah Hobbs on a night when Sarah is testing materials she collected for Overpacked, a set of site-specific installations to be on view in Atlanta for four days next week. Sarah's interest in human obsessions has led her to depict a range of neuroses and human foibles. Known for immersing her viewers in large scale photographs staged in familiar domestic interiors, this time, Sarah invites us into an experiential space: three hotel rooms that appear to be occupied by individuals trying very hard to make themselves feel at home.

Sound Editor and Episode Sound Designer: Eric Schwartz
Photos: Sarah Hobbs

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Jack Sanders

Cathy Byrd Talks Architecture with Jack Sanders
Published July 15, 2012
Our listeners love hearing Austin-based Jack Sanders talk about his adventures. Jack's episode is high on the list for Best Of Fresh Talk.

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century

Cathy Byrd meets artist Jack Sanders at his studio in East Austin. From Cleburne, Texas, Jack studied at Auburn University and the School of Architecture at the University of Texas before he founded his company DesignBuild Adventure. Hear Jack talk about his muse Sam Mockbee, the Rural Studio, El Cosmico, and his commitment to slow architecture, storytelling and dreaming.

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz
Photo: Jack Sanders, except where noted 
Music: Ross Cashiola, Trains in the Grass

BEST OF Fresh Talk: Franklin Sirmans

Cathy Byrd Talks Art with Franklin Sirmans
Published May 14, 2012
Our listeners consider this conversation with curator Franklin Sirmans the Number One episode for Fresh Talk's first season.

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century

Cathy Byrd talks on the phone with Franklin Sirmans, curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Their conversation considers the essential role of public art at LACMA, covers the latest news on Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass installation and previews upcoming LACMA exhibitions to feature the Broad Collection (2012) and the work of Noah Purifoy (2014). Recently appointed Artistic Director for Prospect.3 New Orleans, Franklin shares some of his thoughts about the 2014 exhibition.

Sound Editor: Leo Madriz | Images: Courtesy of LACMA, except where noted. | End Sound: Excerpt of audio recorded while moving Michael Heizer's 340-ton rock from Riverside to Los Angeles, CA. Courtesy of LACMA

Fresh Rx.10 with Kesha Bruce

Fresh Rx.10

I’ve been a full-time artist for nearly 20 years now and I’ve worked hard to build a client list of people who are interested in my work. I work in my studio about 30 hours a week and I show and sell my work on a regular basis on the national level. My biggest problem is that at this point in my career I feel a bit stuck. I feel like I’ve lost that spirit of discovery and adventure I had as a young art student. Any ideas about how I can get it back?
Painter, Chicago, IL

Sometimes in my own studio practice, I find that I get to the end of one avenue of thought and there’s just nothing left there to go on. I’m done. Or I may find that an idea that I started out working on with absolute excitement, now just seems plain boring. When this happens, I have two solutions that always work for me:

Take a sharp left.
Stop everything and go in a completely different direction. In some cases, it may be as easy as switching mediums. Working with new materials, or restricting the materials you allow yourself to use is a great way to set up problems or obstacles that will force your brain to find a way to “work around.” Most of the time the work I produce when I’m creating in this mode never becomes finished artwork. But that’s never the point. The point is to get a fresh perspective. I like to think of it as Creative Research and Development. 

Stop and refuel.
It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to create great work. When I’m having a series of days where I find I’m super low on both energy and motivation, I wise up and realize that instead of forcing myself to move ahead at half mast, I really need to rest and refuel. I’m a big believer in the idea of artists and Creatives taking serious and planned “down time” in order to sustain themselves long-term. Too often we out-put all this creative energy and then we forget to refuel. We get so excited and busy working on projects and activities that when our creative “low fuel” warning light comes on, we don’t pay attention. Just because your creative inkwell has temporarily run dry doesn’t mean there aren’t any exciting new ideas left in there. Perhaps they just need more time to germinate.

In July 2009, Stefan Sagmeister gave a great TED talk about The Power of Time Off.

Send your questions to Kesha Bruce: freshartinternational@gmail.com
Subject Line: Fresh Rx

Fresh Talk: Luci Westphal

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century      

 
In Berlin, Cathy Byrd meets Luci Westphal, a German filmmaker based in New York and Berlin, to talk about Luci's love for street art, music, film and the D.I.Y. style. Luci shares the inside story on her moving postcard series In A Berlin Minute and her latest documentary All's Well and Fair.         

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz   
Photographs courtesy the artist   
Music: "Frogfly Buzzing," by Dioxin Dolly (Rachel Iannelli, Margaret Briggs, Tina Bushnell), 1996, from Luci Westphal, All's Well and Fair, 2012.

Fresh Talk: Sarah Oppenheimer

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century    Cathy Byrd meets Sarah Oppenheimer at the Baltimore Museum of Art to experience Sarah's stunning architectural interventions. The BMA’s contemporary art curator Kristen Hileman creates unique relationships between Sarah Oppenheimer’s new commissions and other work from the collection, including a lyric 2010 sound art piece by Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz. Our ambient recording of Susan Philipsz’s The Shallow Sea is a special feature of this podcast.    

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz 
Photography featuring Sarah Oppenheimer's 2012 commissions for the Baltimore Museum of Art; Nathan L. and Suzanne F. Cohen Contemporary Art Acquisitions Endowment; and gift of the Friends of Modern and Contemporary Art
Sound Art: Susan Philipsz, The Shallow Sea, 2010, from the Baltimore Museum of Art collection     

Special Thanks: Kristen Hilemen, Anne Mannix, Anne Brown, and Sarah Pedroni, Baltimore Museum of Art; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery; and Zachary Wade.

Fresh Talk: Yane Calovski

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century  

In Istanbul, Cathy Byrd meets Yane Calovski, a transmedia artist and curator based in Skopje, Macedonia. Since 1998, his research-based works have been exhibited at Tate Britain, Manifesta 7, European Kunsthalle, Baltic Art Center, and Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje, among other venues. Yane is the artistic director of Press to Exit, an organization founded in 2004 as a special program-based artist initiative for research and production in the field of visual arts and curatorial practices. 
  
Sound Editor: Jeff T. Byrd, with Leonardo Madriz 
Photos, courtesy the artist, except where noted 
Sound: Yane Calovski, Everything is after something, 2004. Produced by Baltic Art Center as part of the Production-in-Residence program 2003/04. Music made in collaboration with Tobias Sjoberg and Sebastian and Sebastian. Courtesy the artist.

Fresh Talk LIVE: Theaster Gates

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century  

In this Fresh Talk LIVE feature, Cathy Byrd meets Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates in Washington, DC, on Election Night 2012. Theaster is the featured speaker in the second annual Kinetic: Conversations in Contemporary Art lecture series at American University. Wilmer Wilson, an alumnus of Howard University, American University graduate students Emily Fransisco and Heather Ravenscroft, and University of Mary Washington senior Sidney Mullis join the conversation.    

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz | Photos: Cathy Byrd unless otherwise noted | Music: Theaster Gates + The Black Monks of Mississippi, Shine, 2011

Fresh VUE: Theaster Gates & Huguenot House

Theaster Gates: 12 Ballads for Huguenot House


Pictured here, 12 Ballads for Huguenot House was created by Chicago-based artist and urban planner Theaster Gates. His project for documenta(13) unites two disused buildings—one in Chicago and the other in Kassel, Germany—by dismantling parts of each to reuse in rebuilding the other. The spatial re-imagining is realized in twelve thematic “ballads.”

Theaster speaks about his work at American University, Washington, DC, on November 6, 2012. His talk is the second annual lecture in the new Kinetic: Conversations in Contemporary Art lecture series at the University. Fresh Art International makes history that night by recording the inaugural Fresh Talk LIVE podcast.

Photos: Cathy Byrd, except where noted.

Fresh Talk: Marcos Lutyens

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century 

In Kassel, Germany, Cathy Byrd meets documenta(13) artist Marcos Lutyens for a Hypnotic Session in the Reflection Room. Based in Los Angeles, the London-born intermedia artist works with other artists and curators to develop events and exhibits that reflect his research into the mind and the unconscious. Marcos collaborated with artist, curator and writer Raimundas Malašauskas and smell researcher and artist Sissel Tolass to create this Hypnotic Session.

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz 
Photos courtesy the artist, except where noted 
Music: Bill Frisell, Richter 858-8

Fresh Talk: Christian Philipp Müller

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Conversations about Creativity in the 21st Century 

In Kassel, Germany, Cathy Byrd meets Swiss artist Christian Philipp Müller to talk about Swiss Chard Ferry, his project for documenta (13). Christian lives in Berlin and Kassel, where since 2011, he's been Dean at the School of Art and Design. He has a history with the international exhibition, having participated in documenta 10 (1997) and is known for his interest in connecting art with the cultural history of plants.  

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz 
Photos: Cathy Byrd and the artist, where noted 
Music: Beach Boys, Vege-Tables, 1967

Fresh VUE: The Netherlands 2012

September in the Netherlands meant a Fresh Art International residency at Open Ateliers, Zuidoost. A chance to meet resident creatives; record podcsts; view art; and witness the Stedelijk Museum, re-opened and renewed, after 8 long years!

First Fresh Talk podcasts in the Netherlands series:

Sasha Dees, Producer, Miss T's American Dream
Kate Moore, Musician and composer

Photos: Cathy Byrd

Fresh Talk: Kate Moore

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century
   

In the Netherlands, Cathy Byrd meets Australian musician and composer Kate Moore in The Hague to talk about the new music she invents for international performances. Kate’s ensemble RPM Electro debuts at The Hague's Theater Dakota on 5 November, 2012.  
  

Sound Editor: Leonardo Madriz 
Photos: Courtesy Kate Moore 
Sound: Kate Moore, Days and Nature, 2012, performed by Asko Schoenberg Ensemble and Engraved in Stone, 2012, performed by STRACC

Fresh Talk: Ballroom Marfa

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century 

On a Spring 2012 road trip in the American Southwest, Cathy Byrd meets members of Ballroom Marfa’s creative team. Director Fairfax Dorn, project manager Melissa McDonnell, and architect Michael Meredith talk about why Ballroom came to West Texas and what they envision for Marfa's near future Drive-In theater.  

Sound Editor: Leo Madriz 
Photography credits as noted 
Episode Sound: Brian LeBarton, The Wind, 2010. New Year’s Film/Score Series. January 2, 2010. The Crowley Theater, Marfa.

Fresh Talk: Jason Forrest

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century    

Cathy Byrd connects by Skype with Jason Forrest, aka DJ DonnaSummer, a laptop musician. Based in Berlin for the past eight of years with his wife Jennifer Ray Jason heads back to the U.S. this fall. Jason talks about how he became internationally known and introduces his new platform, Network Awesome.    

Sound Editor: Leo Madriz 
Photos courtesy Jason Forrest
Episode Sound in order of appearance: "New Religion" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Close to the Edge" from Close to the Edge, Yes;"The Exquisite Organs" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Bring that Beat Back" from Bring that Beat Back, Public Enemy; "Keys to the Door" from The Everything, Jason Forrest; "Utopia" from Utopia, Jason Forrest

Fresh VUE: dOCUMENTA(13)

A glimpse of the overwhelming display that was dOCUMENTA(13), in Kassel, Germany, this September. Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, artistic director of the international exhibition, included 500 year-old Karlsaue park as a venue for more than 50 projects. 
Cathy Byrd reviews dOCUMENTA(13) in the online art journal ...might be good. 
Upcoming on Fresh TALK: Marcos Lutyens (Hypnotic Sessions in the Reflection Room) and Christian Philipp Müller (Swiss Chard Ferry).

Images: Cathy Byrd

Fresh Talk: Helena Reckitt

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century   

On Skype, Cathy Byrd speaks with London-based curator Helena Reckitt about the artists she selected to participate in Nuit Blanche, Toronto, 2012. Projects in Once More With Feeling, Helena's curatorial zone, will animate notions of repetition, remaking, renewal and revolt. The annual art event that brings a million people out onto the streets of the city from dusk to dawn takes place this Saturday, 29 September.  

Sound Editor: Leo Madriz
Photos courtesy Helena Reckitt 
Episode Sound, in order of appearance: Katie Paterson, Hadley+Maxwell, Susan Stenger   

Once More With Feeling Projects Planes, Trisha Brown Dance Company  | Earth–Moon–Earth (Moonlight Sonata Reflected from the Surface of the Moon), Katie Paterson | Smells Like Spirit, Hadley+Maxwell | Thought Balloon, Brian Cauley | Moth Maze, Oliver Husain | The Structures Of Everyday Life: Full Circle, Susan Stenger | The Day After, Tomorrow, Dave Dyment | Tremolo, Maeve Brennan, Ruth Ewan | Ensemble for Mixed Use, JD Walsh | Body Xerox, Simon Denny, Yngve Holen

Fresh Rx.9 with Kesha Bruce

Solutions for Your Creative Dilemmas
   
I'd really like to quit my full-time job so I could practice for a really important symphony audition that's coming up, but considering today's job market, I'm afraid to take the risk. What should I do?               

The bigger question within your question seems to be: “How do I transition out of my day job, so I can work full time on my art?” This is a challenge to many Creatives. 

Here are three really important factors to consider before you take the leap:
 
1. How much monthly/yearly income will you need to be able to sustain your lifestyle?
2. How long will it take you to get your career moving in the right direction so that you can sustain that comfortable lifestyle? 6 months, a year, longer?
3. Do you have enough funds saved to cover your basic living expenses while you’re making the transition?

So, let’s explore your options:
 
Option A: Quit your day job as soon as possible and throw yourself head first into becoming a full-time musician. This is what most Creatives dream of doing, but it’s not really feasible unless you’re willing to make huge lifestyle concessions and aren’t adverse to risk-taking. Likewise, you’ll need to live off your savings account (assuming you have one) until you start making regular income.

Option B: You stay at your day job, and continue working on you creative career on evenings and weekends. The biggest drawback to this option is that making progress in your creative career will take much, much longer. And unless you’re really disciplined and focused it’s easy for the other demands in your life to take-over. Also, you need to be realistic about how much you can get done in the space of a day. We all need sleep!

Option C: (My favorite option) Work your day job part- time and work on your Creative career part-time. As your Creative career develops and you begin to bring in more income on a consistent basis, completely phase out the day job. Note, you may have to leave your current day job and exchange it for another day job that allows for flexible hours. This may sound like a lateral move, but it’s actually quite clever. Think about it. You wouldn’t need to quit your day job in order to practice for that big upcoming audition if you could simply ask to be scheduled for a few less hours to accommodate your practice schedule. With this option, flexibility affords you a bit of the best of both worlds. You still have steady income while you build your creative career, but you also have the time and energy to do the work required to reach your career goals.

The final point I’d like to make is that it’s not enough to quit your day job and hope that everything works out. You need a plan. Leaving your job before you’ve taken the time to think everything through sets up a situation where even though you may have more time to focus on your craft, you end up being unproductive because you’re so stressed about making ends meet.
 
You need to be both optimistic and realistic when deciding how to transition into working on your art full-time. As with most things in life, having a solid plan is a key factor that will determine either success or failure.
 
ClickHERE to watch a great YouTube video/podcast by guitarist Tom Hess on how to move from working your day job to a full-time music career.

Send me your questions: freshartinternational@gmail.com. I'm here to help!

Kesha Bruce

Fresh Talk: Jen Ray

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Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century  

Cathy Byrd connects by Skype with Jennifer Ray, a contemporary artist from North Carolina. Based in Berlin for the past eight of years with her husband Jason Forrest, aka DJ DonnaSummer, Jen heads back to the U.S. this fall. Jen talks about life in Berlin, her recent exhibitions and her new book, Ain't We Got Fun.

Sound Editor: Leo Madriz 
Photos courtesy the artist
Episode Sound:  Jen Ray,  Double Action, Kunsthalle Nürnberg, 2010

Fresh TALK: Joan Jonas and Jason Moran

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Listen to Jason Moran      

Conversations About Creativity in the 21st Century      

On September 14 and 15, Joan Jonas and Jason Moran perform Reanimation at dOCUMENTA(13) in Kassel, Germany. Fresh Art International takes this opportunity to share a double feature Fresh TALK in their honor.  

In Austin, Texas, Cathy Byrd talks with seminal video and performance artist Joan Jonas about how context affects each presentation of The Shape, The Scent, The Feel of Things, a project commissioned by Dia Beacon in 2004. Joan considers the evolution of her transmedia process since the 1960s and the inspiration she gets from working with jazz improvisor Jason Moran, Joan's collaborator in The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things (2005-2006), and Reading Dante (2008).

Jason Moran, a jazz pianist/composer based in New York, speaks with Cathy by phone. The MacArthur Fellow and artistic adviser for jazz at the Kennedy Center talks about when he first started improvising, how he collaborates with contemporary artists and what unfolded during Bleed, the suite of events he created with his wife Alicia Hall Moran during their Biennial residency at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

    
Sound Editor: Leo Madriz | Known image credits noted | Music: Jason Moran, He Takes His Coat and Leaves