Diedrick Brackens weaves love, labor, and legacy into his textiles
From his Los Angeles studio, artist Diedrick Brackens spoke with Art21 contributor Essence Harden about the development of his weaving practice. Describing his choice of materials and colors, Brackens reflects on how these elements come together to create narratives within his work.
“I want to elevate all of these material languages because I think, again, it folds back into thinking about the history of quilting for African Americans,” says the artist. “You take the scraps and all the things, and then it becomes precious through your labor and love of it. I feel like this is the underlying ethos that I try to keep up in the works.”
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Lonnie Holley deconstructs his creative resilience
From the site of his installation for the Prospect.3 biennial in New Orleans, Lonnie Holley discusses one of the works on view, Vox Humana II: Information and Instructions (Music Is Still Strong After Being Torn to Pieces) (2014), with Kerry James Marshall.
“You can do all the harm you want to do to the instrument,” says Holley, “but the music is in the human.”
Recommendations from Art21
Read: Black is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard
A very thoughtful and beautiful book, exploring a lot of different stories from the author’s life. Honestly, the title explains it all! (She was also my favorite professor and advisor during undergrad at UVM.)
Shared by Lauren Barnett, Director of Development; Available now from your retailer of choice
Listen: You’re Wrong About
I’ve been listening to the entirety of the podcast You’re Wrong About, which reexamines individuals and events that have been misaligned and miscast in the media. They approach everything—from the Enron scandal and “stranger danger,” to Anna Nicole Smith and Koko the Gorilla—with both serious research and much-needed empathy.
Shared by Meghan Garven, Development and Administrative Coordinator; Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or your podcast platform of choice
Read: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
This is an older book that I’m revisiting, but I think Brown’s research on shame and vulnerability has a lot to offer during this period when we’re all having difficult conversations about race.
Shared by Danielle Brock, Assistant Curator; Available now from your retailer of choice
Watch: Cupcake Wars
Recently, I’ve been swamped with work and assignments so Cupcake Wars is my idea of relaxation. I just need some pure mindless television to keep me sane. And I don’t know why, but it’s extremely entertaining watching someone critique a cupcake.
Shared by Anika Rahman, Bloomberg Arts intern; Now streaming on Hulu (with subscription)
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