Hear from artists, writers, and therapists about what happens when art and grief collide.
When was the last time you grieved? What is for a person or an animal? A place or a thing? Did you experience grief at the loss of something intangible? These questions are not meant to cause pain. Rather, they offer an opportunity to acknowledge the grief that may be hiding within us—even if it’s been several years since you experienced the loss.
Many artists have used their talents to document, understand, and share their experiences of death, dying, grief, and loss. In this Magazine podcast episode, we discuss three of these artists: Kay WalkingStick, Georg Kolbe, and Käthe Kollwitz. We’ll explore how grief entered their lives and how art helped them see it in new ways. We’ll also hear from a somatic therapist and a thanatologist (a person who studies death and grief). Together, they’ll help us make sense of this complex experience that affects our bodies, minds, and spirits, and discuss the role of art in helping us heal.
Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1178
--------
27:20
How a "Most Typical Victorian Daughter" Found Freedom in the Radical Art of Her Time
Society ridiculed the modern art she loved, so Lillie P. Bliss set out to create a museum to house it.
It might be hard to imagine, but there was a time when the work of modern artists like Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Paul Cézanne was ridiculed by the public. Despite all the criticism, three women founded a museum dedicated to art that was new. In this edition of the Magazine podcast, we explore the life and work of Lillie P. Bliss, one of MoMA’s three founders and a passionate advocate for modern art. Bliss is also the subject of MoMA’s exhibition Lillie P. Bliss and the Birth of the Modern. Described by her niece as “the most typical Victorian daughter,” the dutiful Bliss nonetheless defied not only society but her parents by going on to build an art collection that became the cornerstone of The Museum of Modern Art.
Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1169
--------
28:59
The Curious Case of Meret Oppenheim’s Furry Teacup
A hundred years later, a Surrealist artwork continues to inspire curiosity in all who encounter it.
“It is an object that—once you’ve seen it, it’s there in your imagination forever,” says former MoMA senior curator Anne Umland about Meret Oppenheim’s Surrealist Object. Objects conservator Caitlin Gozo Richeson had a similar reaction on seeing the fur-lined teacup, saucer, and spoon for the first time as a MoMA intern. “I remember seeing it in the galleries and just being floored,” she recalls. “For me, it’s always been one of those objects that is just so burned into my memory and my senses.”
Oppenheim’s Object is one of the most celebrated works in MoMA’s collection—and for good reason. It’s an artwork full of wonder and humor, often leaving us with more questions than answers. For this edition of the Magazine podcast, we plumb the mysteries of an artwork that has come to embody Surrealism, an artistic and literary movement celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Access a transcript of the conversation here: https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1133
--------
35:48
Jazz in the Garden, Episode Three
Jazz in the Garden, Episode Three: “Return to the Garden”
An overwhelmingly popular series of jazz concerts in MoMA’s Sculpture Garden in 1985 proved…a little too popular, and it would be nearly a decade before live jazz was once again a regular occurrence at the Museum. In our third and final episode, hear about a new generation of musicians who revived the legacy of jazz at the Museum in the 1990s, and brought it into the 21st century.
Writer/producers: Naeem Douglas, Alex Halberstadt, Jason Persse
Host: Naeem Douglas
Additional readings: Karen Chilton
Engineer, mixer, original music: Zubin Hensler
Special thanks: Prudence Peiffer, Arlette Hernandez, Ellen Levitt, Kelsey Head, Dore Murphy, Allison Knoll, Tina James, Michelle Harvey, Marc-Auguste Desert II, Omer Leibovitz, Peter Oleksik
Music:
“Namesake.” Written and performed by Milt Jackson. Courtesy of Universal Music Group. By arrangement with Reecie Music; “Soloscope, Part 1.” Written and performed by Sonny Rollins. Courtesy of Concord Records. By arrangement with Kobalt obo Son Rol Music Company; “Strauss Waltz Medley.” Written by Johann Strauss II. Performed by the United States Air Force Band. Public domain recording; “The Thrill Is Gone.” Written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown. Performed by Claudia Acuña. Used by permission. By arrangement with Warner Chappell Music; “Mambo Jazz.” Written (as “Titorama”) by Chris Washburne. Performed by Chris Washburne and the Syotos Band. Used by permission. Courtesy Wash and Burne Music; “Moon Bird.” Written by Myra Melford. Performed by Myra Melford’s The Tent. Used by permission. Courtesy Myra Melford; “Malinke’s Dance.” Written by Marty Ehrlich. Performed by the Marty Ehrlich Sextet. Used by permission. Courtesy Marty Ehrlich
--------
19:17
How Art Is Helping Teens Find Their True Selves
Hear from current and former teens about their experiences of growing up queer.
When was the last time you thought about your teenage self?
For a lot of us, our teenage years were an uncomfortable time. Sure, there were some good moments, but there were also a lot of confusing thoughts and big emotions that we couldn't figure out. For Pride 2024, we invite you to enter the world of Open Art Space (OAS), MoMA’s weekly drop-in program for LGBTQ+ high school students and their allies. You’ll hear from different community members about the ways they discovered and embraced their identity as queer people. They discuss what it was like growing up queer, the role of art in their lives, and the places and spaces that played a vital role in making them feel safe.
Ireland