 As the year turned I decided to work away from others eyes for awhile. I began this On the Horizon series to reflect on where the ship of my life is heading, to find waymarkers outside of digital spaces. And as the fires continue to burn in the geo-region of my physical existence I see how this series is about the unknown and the new, nature and locale. Not sure what the future holds for my neighborhood or for these paintings, and I know that they are an honest expression of what is glimpsed On the Horizon.
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Mako and I got to talk about what it is to live in a place changed by fire and how the artist navigates responsibility.
Author Mentioned: Jaques Maritain Places to donate: Mask Bloc LA (grassroots organization providing masks) Suay It Forward (dealing with the immense generosity of clothing donation and diverting it from landfills) Center for Cultural Innovation (providing grants for artists directly impacted by the fires) World Central Kitchen (feeding those displaced locally and globally) I live in a place changed by recent fires. The air quality experts say to be careful breathing the smoke and ash. Rain will make things a lot safer. Here are some of my prayers for rain. Will you pray with me for cleansing rain?
Places to donate: Mask Bloc LA (grassroots organization providing masks) Suay It Forward (dealing with the immense generosity of clothing donation and diverting it from landfills) Center for Cultural Innovation (providing grants for artists directly impacted by the fires) World Central Kitchen (feeding those displaced locally and globally)
Makoto Fujimura and I had this conversation a few days ago now and I am still reflecting on the epiphany I had while we were talking. The insight is this: Curiosity is the antidote to conscripted thought. This means that the mechanism of questioning enables boundary crossing construction, specifically as the cure for binary thought. For years I have been trying to figure out how humans mentally discover and overcome their blindspots. On a car the answer is clear: use the mirrors. With humans, we can use the mirrors of others reflections, but that doesn't always yield true coverage either, due to bias and similarity/group dynamic echo chambers. I have been reflecting on the importance of curiosity for awhile as evidenced by the reflection guide I put together in early 2023, (which you can access here). And yet I had never thought of it in this specific way before. Hooray for ever expanding paradigms! May the New Year be full of them! Books Mentioned in our conversation:
Makers by Nature by Bruce Herman The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer Art Is by Makoto Fujimura Donations to IAMCC assist directly with the administrative costs of running this generative nonprofit. If you are able please donate here: https://iamculturecare.com/donate  Recently two scholars wrote about my work for two different publications. Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, who wrote the interpretative guide Redeeming Vision shared my work in Christianity Today. Dr. Maria Fee, who wrote the theological interpretation of hospitality and the work of Theaster Gates in Beauty is a Basic Service offered insights about my work for The Christian Century. Dr. Weichbrodt wrote about various offerings of mine in relation to the incarnation and the Annunciation Triptych of Robert Campin. Some moments that I love from the tryptic include the patrons attentively awaiting and observing the unfolding narrative, Joseph doing the patient repetitive work of an artisan, while the city continues on outside. Dr. Weichbrodt is like those depicted in that she considers the scope and specificity of what is presented, considering the context with a working knowledge of “Redeemed Vision” and presents plausible interpretations. i am so fortunate to have such a faithful viewer and translator of my offerings. Dr. Fee generously wrote about the “Prayer Book” series. She connected this offering to baptism and the push and pull of life and death. Dr. Fee’s interpretation plumbs the depths of this series and offers refreshment and renewal through her keen synthesis. As an artist herself, Fee inherently understanding the material possibilities and fallibilities. This means that she translates facets of the work that go unnoticed otherwise, perhaps even by the artist themselves. So thankful for the work of faithful observers. 
In November I crossed the threshold of reading my 400th book of the year and enjoyed many insightful reads.
Maira Kalman has long been a favorite artist and her book Still Life with Remorse is an unflinching appraisal of family with delightful illustrations. The juxtaposition between text and image is suburb. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara has been out for almost a decade and continues to pull in new readers because the story is that raw and nuanced. It exquisitely investigates the nature of relationship and belonging. (Check all content warnings before reading!) James by Percival Everett is narrative of "Jim" from Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is a concise re-telling with precise prose. Books by Naomi Klein like The Shock Doctrine, are required reading for anyone seeking to understand the foundations of contemporary culture (another one to check content warnings on). The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer illustrates just how much "all flourishing is mutual." The Twittering Machine by Richard Seymour provides excellent insight into the role social media plays in shaping and propelling credible false narratives. On Being Unreasonable by Kirsty Sedgman does not live up to the other books on this list in terms of writing quality, but is included because the premise is vital and should be incorporated broadly.  I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about a calendar offering, but never really landed on the correct format. Recently, Brit Chida shared this great calendar of future feelings. And so many things fell into place. Art happens outside of 40 hour workweeks and "off" weekends. It is something that transpires in flow (Kairos time). It is not a measurable thing. So while I maintained the traditional monthly calendar grid for these images, there are no dates listed. Time continues whether we know what to call the day or not, whether we work or not. By removing some of the traditional calendar markings there is room for a different possibility, while remaining connected to what is known. It is thru this bridging that the brain is able to move towards something new. Mako and I had an opportunity to reflect on the possibilities of a honed (limited) practice, what it means to learn from nature, and how making art is participating in a future hope. We also discussed the insightful article Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt wrote for Christianity Today which placed my work in the context of incarnational insight. Highly recommend checking out Mako's new Substack to read more about the #postdeconstruction movement we referenced as well. So thankful for these myriad opportunities to share and reflect with the beloved community.
Honestly most of my reading this past month was re-reading of fantasy series like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials. A question I reflected on with these series that churches ban to this day was how much more harm has been done to Christianity by fear-mongering series like "Left Behind" than these stories of bravery and comradery? I did reach the milestone of my 365th book for the year. In between all of the fantasy these two books: Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia and A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar stand out. Murgia gives a solid overview of AI and how it is increasingly integrating with human life. The reflective questionnaire she includes on the ethical use of AI should be mandatory reading for everyone. Highly recommend looking that up and spending some time considering your responses. The quality of Matar's prose was like soft suede; it was like feeling the soft light of Medieval Siena in every sentence. Absolutely lovely.
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