“I grew up working in a meditative way and having those love hours go into the objects,” shared Alex Da Corte. But what are “love hours” and how did that concept come about? Discovering a source of inspiration is an unparalleled feeling, often resulting in creative expression, new opinions, and perhaps a fresh outlook on life. Adds Da Corte, “I think about the Mike Kelley piece, More Love Hours that Can Never Be Repaid, and think about the unseen labor.”

In this playlist, we go under the influence and explore the network of inspiration amongst artists.  In conversation and often in admiration of each other’s approach and expression—perhaps leading to a collaboration or simply a workflow—everyone is encouraged to find guidance through an artist that speaks to their own sensibilities. “Just to see what sculpture can do,” says Liz Larner in admiration of Tony Smith’s “Smoke” (1967), “this I think is probably one of the greatest examples of that ever.”

“I want to carry my home with me all the time, like a snail,” mused Do Ho Suh in the second season of our Art in the Twenty-First Century series. The idea of home can be translated in a variety of ways: from a literal representation found in built structures and hometowns, to the feeling of acceptance discovered by a new place and community. Regardless of the path, a homecoming provides an opportunity for self-reflection and an undeniable source of personal and creative discovery. “Is this how your home is?” recalled Pepón Osorio as among the common viewer reactions to his installations, to which he would reply, “It isn’t–I am making a very calculated intervention.”

This collection of films explores how artists address the concept of home. Themes of contradiction, coming-of-age, blight, and immigration are all confronted with the use of sculpture, photography, and video works. “When I got here, I thought this was home,” said Lynda Benglis upon her first trip to Ahmedabad, India. “When you go any place else, it is lonely, and colorless.”

Art is inherently contradictory; “it’s nature is to ask questions,” says Edgar Arceneaux. Given that, how are artists answering the question: What is America today? Recent years in the United States have proven to be tumultuous, and yet as these historical markers continue to shape the discourse of the new-normal, artists are responding with powerful works that are representative of the times. “The discomfort of being a person living and working in the United States is a place where these paintings were being made from,” explains Julie Mehretu.

This playlist showcases how artists are responding to the dynamic nature of the United States and its parallels. Unpacking colonial histories, reinterpreting news pundits, and celebrating cultural diversity, their work helps paint a picture of a shared American experience, as told from a variety of perspectives. As Raúl de Nieves states, “we don’t want to go back in time, we want to move forward.”