MaJor Musings

This week, Maria speaks to Jordan and the listeners about the practice of Alia Ali, a Yemeni-Bosnian-US artist who has spent her life traveling all over the world. As a result of her travels, Ali is vehemently committed to reflecting themes of interconnectedness in her work, without the barriers of language or cultural exclusivity limiting the breadth of her practice. Maria also references the writing of her friend from UChicago, Jad Dahshan, who wrote their MA thesis using Ali’s FLOW Series as a case study.

In this episode, Jordan explains a past paper she wrote for an Islamic art seminar and how it changed her understanding of the contemporary American artist James Turrell. Using light as an artistic material, Turrell activates the viewers' sensorial experiences within his installations, asking them to consider their ability to perceive the world around them and how to interact with the natural and constructed environment. Maria and Jordan also recount a similar perceptual experience with a work they saw in Denmark. 

This week, Maria shares her research with Jordan and the listeners about the life and practice of Baya, an Algerian artist who rose to fame in France in the 1940s when she was only 16 years old. Her story has historically been overshadowed by artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, who are rumored to have taken inspiration from her art. This brings up several questions — namely how appropriate this inspiration is given their hyper-sexualized and orientalist nature.

In this episode, Jordan details the story of applying for funding to travel, her research trip over the summer to Denmark, as well as her preliminary thoughts on Per Kirkeby's art and her thesis. 

Welcome back to Major Musings! After a year-long hiatus during their year of graduate school, Maria and Jordan are back for season 2. In this episode, they discuss their experiences in their respective MA programs and talk about the future, as well. 

In the final episode of Season 1, Jordan talks with Maria about the Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao. Founded in 2004, Tatiana Bilbao Estudio has been recognized globally as a leading architectural firm working in sustainable architecture and affordable housing. Taking inspiration from both the natural environment and culture, Bilbao's designs are innovative and functional while also being thoughtfully aesthetic and meaningful. 

This episode features a discussion about the life and work of Hanaa Malallah, an Iraqi artist and educator living in London. Maria speaks to Jordan and the listeners about Malallah’s practice with respect to her deep interest in ancient Mesopotamian culture and how it has influenced even her artist’s signature. Moreover, Malallah provokes her audience into having a more well-rounded and global understanding of the complexities of war and violence with respect to her own experiences both in Iraq and abroad.

In this episode, Jordan talks about the Danish artist Rune Bosse with Maria and the listeners. Bosse is a scientistic artist who uses natural materials and organic matter to question the natural processes of the universe, which most often result in impressive large-scale installations and site-specific works.

In this episode, Maria discusses the life and career of Palestinian British artist, Mona Hatoum, with Jordan and the listeners. Staunchly opposing the restrictive boundaries of an identity many have assumed for her, Hatoum explores the complexities of gender and inequality not just in the Middle East, but globally. Through a practice of multimedia, namely film and sculpture, the artist tackles issues that are often interchangeable with respect to Western and Middle Eastern cultures -- and, in the rare instance, are deeply personal and autobiographical. 

This episode features a discussion of Maya Lin's wide-ranging practice. Jordan highlights several of Lin's environmental art installations, architecture, and memory works for Maria and the listeners. Since winning the design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lin's practice has often dealt with themes of environmental activism, remembrance, and social justice.