Pep Talks for Artists

In this new Book Talks episode, Mandolyn Wilson Rosen is back to help me review a new art book: Jack Whitten: Notes From the Woodshed, Edited by Katy Siegel for Hauser & Wirth. Equal parts profound, strident and hilarious, Jack Whitten's (1939-2018) 50 year studio log packs a wallop. And it's meaty at 581 pages, so we had lots to discuss! Stick around to hear some sage advice, inspiring tales of studio experimentation and even some positive affirmations from this incredible painter and sculptor.

Links to shows, videos, articles mentioned:⁠"
Jack Whitten: The Messenger" Exhibition at MOMA 2025⁠
⁠"Jack Whitten: Ready-nows" Two Coats of Paint Blog⁠
⁠⁠Xerox PARC Artist-in-Residence (PAIR) program⁠⁠
⁠Jack Whitten – ‘The Political is in the Work’ by TateShots⁠
⁠Jack Whitten: An Artist's Life | Art21 "Extended Play"⁠
⁠Uncovering Jack Whitten’s mysterious abstractions | HOW TO SEE (MOMA)⁠

Artists mentioned: Willlem DeKooning, Robert Blackburn, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, Ron Gorchov, Sol Lewitt, Frank Stella, Caravaggio, Berrisford Boothe, Kerry Downey, Amy Sillman, Jake Berthot
Whitten works mentioned: "The Messenger: For Art Blakey," "Homecoming: For Miles," "Black Monolith 2: Homage to Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man," "Head IV Lynching," Homage to Malcolm," "King's Wish (Martin Luther's Dream)," "King's Garden," The Slab Paintings, "Asa's Palace," Gray Paintings, Greek Alphabet Paintings, "Dead Reckoning I," "9-11-01," "Apps for Obama," "Nine Fire CDS: For the Fire Spitter (Jane Cortez)," "Zeitgeist Traps (For Michael Goldberg)," "Quantum Wall VIII for Arshile Gorky (My First Love in Painting)," "Crystal Palace: For Jeanne Siegel"
Philosophers Jack loved: Immanuel Kant, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, Taha Hussein (Egyptian, Arab Renaissance), Friedrich Nietzsche, Slavoj Žižek
Other artist logs:
Day Book by Anne Truitt
The Andy Warhol Diaries Edited by Pat Hackett
Philip Guston: Collected Writings, Lectures and Conversations Edited by Clark Coolidge
Agnes Martin: Painting, Writings, Remembrances Edited by Arne Glimcher

Where to get the book:
Hauser & Wirth , Abe Books, Thrift Books, Ebay, Amazon

Please find Mandolyn Wilson Rosen online here: ⁠⁠mandolynwilsonrosen.com⁠⁠ and IG ⁠⁠@mandolyn_rosen⁠⁠

Thank you, Mandy! Thank you, Peps Listeners!

All music by Soundstripe
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Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Artist, Judy Glantzman, is back on the pod this week to discuss her friend and incredible artist, Dawn Clements (1958-2018). Come along with me as I hear more about this brave, innovative artist who celebrated the idea of the ungovernable doodle. Her ink and gouache drawings span walls and rooms, yet she often made them folded up on trains and while lying in bed. It was wonderful to hear Judy's recollections of this artist I have long-admired.

Exhibitions mentioned:
James Barron Art "Dawn Clements: Paper Flowers" 2025
Pierogi "Dawn Clements at the Boiler" 2010
MANA Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ "Dawn Clements, Living Large: A Survey, " 2021
Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston, ME "Back and Forth" Dawn Clements and Marc Leuthold 2008
Museum of Modern Art "High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture" 1990-91
...and keep an eye out for Dawn's upcoming show at the RISD Museum!
Dawn Clements works discussed: "Mrs. Jessica Drummond's Bedroom (My Reputation, 1946)" 2010, "Kitchen and Bathroom" 2003, "Tabletop (Black and White)" 2010, "The Boiler" 2010, "Triptych (Yaddo)" 2017, "Maele Luster" 2011, "Grass" 2017, "Oval" 1995-2000, Collaboration with Marc Leuthold 2008 PLUS find more images at Pierogi
Residencies mentioned: Sint Trudo Abdij (Maele, Belgium), MacDowell, Yaddo, Civitella Ranieri Foundation
Other artists mentioned: Janet Fish, Fra Angelico ("Noli me tangere", 1440–42. Fresco from the convent of San Marco, Florence), Jane Freilicher, Catherine Murphy, Morandi, David Wojnarowicz, Vija Celmins, George Condo, Gina Ruggeri, Charles Burchfield, Charles Garabedian, Mary Temple
Book mentioned: "Looking at the Overlooked" by Norman Bryson
Links to online talks:
Brooklyn Rail Panel: "Living Large: Dawn Clements"
Vermont Studio Center Lecture

Dawn's favorite art materials: PAPER • Fabriano Accademia roll paper, 80-lb., and Strathmore 400 drawing roll paper, 100-lb. INKS AND PENCILS • Sumi ink (both black and vermilion)• ballpoint pen (Bic Crystal or PaperMate medium point black)• No. 2 pencils WATERCOLOR • Sennelier GOUACHE: • Winsor & Newton BRUSHES • soft round watercolor
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Thank you to my guest, Judy Glantzman! Don't miss her upcoming solo show:
"Playing with Dolls "
Judy Glantzman at
PPOW Gallery
Feb 6 - March 14, 2026
390 Broadway, 2nd Floor (2nd location)
New York, NY 10013
Also, find Judy on IG: @judyglantzman

Thank you for listening!

----------------------------
Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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We're back for Part 2! Artist, Jennifer Coates joins me again to discuss 2 modern-day women mystic artists: Cornish Visionary, Ithell Colquhoun and Desert Transcendentalist, Agnes Pelton.

Ithell Colquhoun links and mentions:
"Papers of Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988)" archive at Tate Modern
The Living Stones: Cornwall book by Ithell Colquhoun
"The Mantic Stain" 1949 essay by Ithell Colquhoun
"Dance of the Nine Opals" 1942 painting by Ithell Colquhoun
"Scylla" 1938 painting by Ithell Colquhoun
"Alcove" 1946 painting by Ithell Colquhoun
Elliott Green, artist
Ithell Colquhoun: Between Worlds ed Katy Norris
"Taro of Color": Ithell Colquhoun's Tarot Deck 1977

Agnes Pelton links and mentions:
Transcendental Painting Group, incl Raymond Johnson
Hilma Af Klint
Helena Blavatsky & Theosophy
Alchemy 1937-9
Mother of Silence 1933
Photo of Agnes Pelton in Cathedral City 1932

Mystical Book Nook
⁠The Living Stones: Cornwall⁠ book by Ithell Colquhoun
Ithell Colquhoun: Between Worlds⁠ ed Katy Norris
Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill
On Mysticism by Simon Critchley
Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women by Caroline Walker Bynum
Ithell Colquhoun: Genius of The Fern Loved Gully by Amy Hale
Weird Studies Podcast: Amy Hale episode
Medieval Women: the Curators' Lunchtime Lecture on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUgweMmuhyI
Medieval Women: Voices and Visions (British Library) ed Julian Harrison & Eleanor Jackson 
Agnes Pelton: Desert Transcendentalist (Phoenix Art Museum) ed Gilbert Vicario
The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting from 1890 to 1985 ed Maurice Tuchman

Thanks so much to my guest cohost, Jennifer Coates!
Find her online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠web⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks to you for listening!

~~~
Visit Glögg Glǒgg, a pop up art faire, Dec 12-14, 2025 in Woodstock NY! More info: ⁠https://gloggglogg.my.canva.site/⁠ or on IG at ⁠@glogg_glogg⁠
~~~
All music by Soundstripe
----------------------------
Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!

In this episode, Jennifer Coates returns to help me explore the spookily wonderful topic of Women Mystics and their connection to art and artists. In Part 1, we cover mystics from the Pythia of Ancient Greece to ecstatic visionaries like Hildegard von Bingen of the late Medieval era.
P.S.: Keep an eye out for Part 2 where we dip into our fave 20th-century mystical artists.

Ancient Mystics mentioned: The Pythia, priestesses of Apollo and the women behind the Oracle at Delphi (Greek) and the process of Dream Incubation by the Dream Oracles (Greek)
Pythia/Oracle of Delphi deep dive (thanks, Gary!):
1. ⁠https://tinyurl.com/y8798eap⁠
2. ⁠https://tinyurl.com/4vxkcsnu⁠
3. ⁠https://tinyurl.com/mtz3rn24

Medieval Mystics mentioned: Joan of Arc, Christine Carpenter (Anchoress), Julian of Norwich (Anchoress), Margery Kempe, Birgitta of Sweden, Teresa of Avila, Hildegard of Bingen and her artworks "Scivias 2.1: The Redeemer," "Scivias 1.6: The Choirs of Angels," "Book of Divine Works, Part 2, Vision 1: The Parts of the Earth: Living, Dying, and Purgatory" 1150-1230 and song "O Viridissima Virga" /“O branch of freshest green”
Medieval Illuminator mentioned: Sibylla von Bondorf and her painting, "St Clare and a Group of Nuns Mourning St Francis of Assisi" 1478

Films mentioned: "Anchoress" 1993, "Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen" 2009 starring Barbara Sukowa, dir by Margarethe von Trotta
Book mentioned: "Medieval Women: Voices & Visions," ed by Eleanor Jackson and Julian Harrison
Potpourri: Jennifer's morbidanatomy.org class "Sensing the Supernatural Dead" taught by Jamie L. Brummitt

Thanks so much to my guest cohost, Jennifer Coates!
Find her online: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠web⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks to you for listening!

~~~
Visit Glögg Glǒgg, a pop up art faire, Dec 12-14 in Woodstock NY! More info: https://gloggglogg.my.canva.site/ or on IG at @glogg_glogg
~~~
All music by Soundstripe
----------------------------
Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠⁠⁠
Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy's website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Artists, Jennifer Coates, David Humphrey and Catherine Haggarty and are back for Part 3 of our series on Drawing. This time we switched things up and each artist brought both an artwork from art history and a related work of their own to discuss. Get ready to hear some vivid "ekphrasis" on our drawing picks (new vocab word unlocked-thanks, David!).

Jennifer brought “The Castle with the Angel” 1863 by Victor Hugo and her own mixed media on yupo drawing “Heads in the Brambles” 2025
David brought Odilon Redon's "Self Portrait" 1880 and his own painted drawing "Before the Couch” 2023
Catherine brought Catherine Murphy's “Rose's Coloring Book” 2011 and her own wax crayon work "Bus Drawing" 2024
Amy brought Paul Klee's "Ugly Angel" 1939 and her own graphite drawing "Reversal (Ingres)" 2024

Other artworks mentioned: The Sketchbooks of John Constable, Eugene Delacroix and JMW Turner, Catherine Murphy "In the Grass" 2011, Kerry James Marshall "Untitled" 2009, Paul Klee "Untitled (Last Still Life)" 1940, "Still Ugly Angel" 1940, "Vigilant Angel" 1939, "Bell Angel" 1939, "Doubting Angel" 1939, "Angel in a Crisis II" 1939 , "Mis- Angel " 1939, "Angelus Novus" 1920, "Angel of Care on a Steep Road" 1931
Books mentioned: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo, "The Angels of Paul Klee" by Boris Friedewald, "Exploring Masterpieces : a Fact-Filled Coloring Book" 1990
Artists mentioned: Victor Hugo, Odilon Redon, Catherine Murphy, Paul Klee, John Constable, Eugene Delacroix, JMW Turner, Kerry James Marshall, Josephine Halvorson, Jasper Johns (his Mind/Mirror retrospective at Whitney Museum), Judy Glantzman, Franz Marc, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Jane Fine, James Esber, Erica Svec, Zachary Wollard

More about the speakers:
Jennifer Coates: ⁠⁠⁠web⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠IG⁠⁠⁠
David Humprhrey: ⁠⁠web⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠IG⁠⁠
Catherine Haggarty: ⁠⁠web⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠IG⁠
Amy Talluto: web and IG

Upcoming exhibitions:
Jennifer and David have work at 1Gap Gallery in "2>1" Curated by Michael Holden thru Jan 5, 2026 (Brooklyn)
Amy has work in:
"Eyes in the Sky" (solo) at theNextWaveGallery at SHOWROOM at Guerra Paint & Pigments curated by Nicole Castaldo thru Oct 31, 2025 (Maspeth-Queens)
"Often I am Permitted to Return to a Meadow" at Active Space curated by Patrick Bower and Robert Zurer of Immaterial Projects Nov 7 - Nov 22, 2025 (Bushwick-Brooklyn)
"A Gnawing Thought " at Utopia Gallery curated by Mandolyn Wilson Rosen Dec 6 -Jan 24, 2026 (Kingston, NY)
"Relic" at Platform Project Space curated by Alyssa Fanning, Michael Lee and Patrick Neal Jan 30-Feb 5, 2026 (Dumbo-Brooklyn)
Congrats to Catherine and Andrew Prayzner on their beautiful baby girl, Juliette Margaret!

Thank you for listening!

All music by Soundstripe
----------------------------
Pep Talks on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peptalksforartists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Pep Talks Website: ⁠⁠https://www.peptalksforartists.com/⁠⁠
Amy, your beloved host, on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@talluts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Amy's website: ⁠⁠https://www.amytalluto.com/⁠⁠
Pep Talks on Art Spiel as written essays: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/7k82vd8s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuyMeACoffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donations always appreciated!