ART & ARCHITECTURE INTERVIEWS for FIVE BOOKS, ESSAYS, FIELD NOTES

Welcome to the first newsletter for Appel Art Journal, which features the latest Five Books interviews relating to art and architecture, and other material.

INTERVIEW | In Conversation with Hauser & Wirth Publishers | 20.04.20

Why should we read what visual artists write?

Why should we read what visual artists have written? Michaela Unterdörfer, head of publishing for one of the most prominent art galleries in the world, Hauser & Wirth, argues that the visual and artistic language of artists makes archival material more immediate and compelling. Artists' testimonies refer not only to physical archives but above all to the mental archives of artists, their cultural and historic inheritance, which books like these bring to life.

WHAT’S CAUGHT MY EYE & CROSSED MY SCREEN

Shows - Arthur Jafa

Arthur Jafa’s show at the Serralves Museum in my home town of Porto was the last exhibit I saw before lockdown. In fact I had the good fortune of attending a talk he gave, giving us a generous glimpse of works in progress. His lecture left me hanging on every word. In the interview below, Jafa talks about his mesmerising work, Apex, on show at Serralves and which had me transfixed. Images above from his landmark work, Love is the Message, The Message is Death. Seeing this ‘crucial ode to Black America’ several years ago was a transformative experience. Seek it out.

Spaces - V&A Cast Courts

I could spend a lifetime drawing in the Cast Courts of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Reopened recently after extensive refurbishment, here’s a link to a tidy history of the Courts. Visiting feels like stepping into a multi-dimensional visualisation of art history. In quarantine, I’m nostalgic for London trips that would sometimes afford me an hour or two in this extraordinary space.

Stories - Chadwick Estate

Generations of an artistic family’s collection and work, in the stunning setting of the Lypiatt Park estate in Gloucestershire. Visual escapism for the house-bound.

Why should we read what visual artists have written? That’s the question posed by the latest Five Books art interview featured above. Are you a creative? Do you keep a journal? My own journal is migrating partly online, to Appel, a blog which collects interviews I’ve done as Art & Architecture Editor with Five Books. It also gathers essays on a range of subjects, and field notes from exhibitions and studio visits that I’ve made over years while working in finance, radio, ceramics and the arts. 

How can one get an art education without going to art school? That’s the unspoken question behind the blog. Start where you are, use what you’ve got, do what you can. Spend as much time as possible in the studio. Learn whatever you can from those around you, and those they learned from in turn. This is a thread that can take you back over many, many generations. That’s my tentative answer, and why it’s important for me to read what visual artists have written.

What subjects or themes would you like to see featured on Five Books? Have you seen or read anything remarkable lately? I would be glad to hear from you.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this first edition. Quarantine may not be good for many things, but it’s a fine time to explore, online and in print. 

Wishing you good health and high spirits! 

Romas Tauras