California Sensing

Tim and Gina celebrate the absurdity and brilliance of highly conceptual Halloween costumes, discuss the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition at the Whitney, and ponder what exactly makes art "intellectual." They also dive into the strange world of artists' Instagram handles, Rebecca Morris at Bortolami, Clarity Haynes at New Discretions, Cool shows at the New York Studio School (ever been?) and because they just can't help themselves, revisit the ever-controversial subject of flowers. Also... what is narcissism? LOTS TO UNPACK.

Beavers and Butthead are back! This week, Gina and Tim tackle matriarchy, taking breaks, looming, swooshing deadlines, an insane seasonal candy-corn infused Rumspringa, seeing in high resolution, and conversations across disciplines. Also considered: how much should access to an art fair cost the proletariat? Is there simply too much art? Why does Tim hate flowers in paintings? And what happens when art-world spin meets the fine art of de-influencing? All this and more, as we attempt to make sense of the beautiful absurdity of it all.

In this episode of Unstretched, Gina and Tim cover a wildly eclectic range of topics, from perimenopause and art making to the rough hewn language in Shakespeare’s King Lear, moody nighttime walks at the Headlands, and adventures around the Bay Area. Along the way, they discuss a chic group exhibition at Luhring Augustine, the ever-complicated world of higher education, and Tim goes on a screed about Mr Holland’s Opus.

On this week’s podcast, a valley girl and a distinguished professor discuss whether the podcast will survive their vanity, making oversized prints, American taste, Flag Art Foundation’s the Art of the Influence summit, the phenomenon of the Celebrity Artist, Tim’s quick spin around the Armory, Gina’s fried food bacchanal, and what exactly IS a Mahl Stick? 

Gina gets posessed by the spirit of military discipline at her residency at the Headlands, Tim becomes a member of the culturati, they discuss light collabs, destructive nuts, nuclear annihilation, mixing your own paint like Cézanne, openings in NYC and Tim & Gina as your future Tuscan tour guides.

Tim and Gina discuss the influential people who have passed away recently, phallic microphones, the institution of marriage, taxes, the poetry of Wendell Berry, Queer vs. Gay, the Fall semester, Oh Hi! Ohhh, Artist panels with difficult audience questions, Encaustic, Zachary Armstrong's house of paintings at the Weston Gallery in Cincinatti, going to museums with friends, loving yourself through all your eras, post gallery-closing tips, Seriousness vs Humor, whether or not it's possible to waste time in the studio and shows they're looking forward to this Fall.

Tim and Gina discuss summer colds, famous Bay Area painters, visiting Tim's drawing studio, not a penny more for Art school Student loans!! Tim goes to the dark side with his work and comes back victorious. They discuss the exact nature of the relationship you have with your work and memories you've had together, getting ready for Fall, Tim prepares for his classes and they discuss shows that are opening.

Gina and Tim get into FOMO, gatekeeping and power games in the art world, extreme travel, high elevations, sharing bathrooms with strangers, visions of adulthood, kindness, Schopenhauer and the Stoics, cleaning the studio, Project Runway, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Michael Kors, Law Roach, tarot, bingo—and Tim winning big. Somehow, it all makes sense.

Tim goes plein air painting, then casino gambling. Gina tries experiments with "alla prima antipasto" and holds paintings hostage... it's just another summer episode! Tim and Gina discuss asynchronous teaching, Donald Baechler's studio, Carol Rama, older female Artist gravitas, young hot pics of older Artists, making the algo pop, gratuitous artist birthday posts, annoying grants, being obsessed with your own paintings, Carol Bove at the Guggenheim, Nora Griffin and George Griffin at Fierman, the dominance of Agnes Martin, getting paid/not getting paid by galleries and other hijinks, and whether Gina knows what the statute of limitations is on copyright. Keeping it unstretched!

Get in the back of TIm and GIna's sexy van as they discuss all the cars they've ever loved or almost died in, community in the Art world, the art of the humble brag, Insta identity vs. real identity, fighting for adjuncts, bad boyfriends, black bears, re-shuffles at Art mags, sticking up for a friend, art content seeking its lowest level and collectors shifting to gambling gambling.