What’s My Thesis? podcast

#Society #Philosophy #Fine Arts #Arts #Javier Proenza #I Talk #History

19:15

Can AI compress the years long research time of a PhD into seconds? Research scientist Max Jaderberg explores how “AI analogs” simulate real-world lab work with staggering speed and scale, unlocking new insights on protein folding and drug discovery. Drawing on his experience working on Isomorphic Labs' and Google DeepMind's AlphaFold 3 — an AI model for predicting the structure of molecules — Jaderberg explains how this new technology frees up researchers' time and resources to better understand the real, messy world and tackle the next frontiers of science, medicine and more. For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch . Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links: TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou TEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

What’s My Thesis? explicit

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What’s My Thesis? is a podcast that examines art, philosophy, and culture through longform, unfiltered conversations. Hosted by artist Javier Proenza, each episode challenges assumptions and invites listeners to engage deeply with creative and intellectual ideas beyond surface-level discourse.

267 episodes

What’s My Thesis? explicit

updated 6 days ago

Series home•Feed

267 episodes

#Society #Philosophy #Fine Arts #Arts #Javier Proenza #I Talk #History

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1
266 Dreams in Migrations: AAPI Identity, Diaspora, and Resistance in Contemporary Art 57:49

6 days ago57:49

57:49

Dreams in Migrations: AAPI Identity, Diaspora, and Resistance in Contemporary Art In this special live episode of What's My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza moderates a closing panel discussion at BG Gallery for Dreams in Migrations —the third annual AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) exhibition curated by artist and organizer Sung-Hee Son. This timely conversation assembles a multigenerational roster of artists whose practices interrogate identity, memory, imperialism, and the myth of the model minority through distinct formal languages and lived experiences. Featuring artists Dave Young Kim, Mei Xian Qiu, and others, the episode moves fluidly between personal narrative and structural critique. Kim speaks candidly about growing up Korean American in Los Angeles, navigating ADHD through drawing, and finding community through both art and street culture. He reflects on his work’s deep connection to place—evoking the layered histories of Koreatown through archival images, signage, and symbolic compositions. Mei Xian Qiu offers a moving account of displacement, spiritual ritual, and postcolonial trauma. Born into Indonesia’s Chinese diaspora, she discusses her early artistic impulse to create “sacred objects” as a means of processing survival and systemic erasure. Her multimedia works—reminiscent of stained glass and batik—expose the mechanisms of propaganda and the cultural inheritance of violence. Her series Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom revisits China’s Hundred Flowers Campaign with a provocative inversion: a mock invasion of the U.S. staged entirely by AAPI artists and academics. Together, the panelists explore diasporic kinship, cross-cultural solidarity, and the politics of visibility within the art world. Proenza draws compelling parallels between the AAPI and Latinx experiences, from forced assimilation and linguistic loss to state violence and Cold War geopolitics. The conversation challenges the flattening effects of labels like “model minority,” advocating instead for nuance, specificity, and coalition-building. The episode concludes with reflections on the power of artist collectives, including the Korean American Artists Collective co-founded by Kim, and a roll call of exhibiting artists whose works are transforming the gallery into a space of resistance, celebration, and shared memory. Featured Artists in the Exhibition: Dave Young Kim Mei Xian Qiu Bryan Ida Tia (Otis MFA ‘23) Miki Yokoyama Key Topics: AAPI identity in fine art Postcolonial trauma and Chinese-Indonesian history Korean American experience in L.A. Propaganda, memory, and resistance The myth of the model minority Artist collectives and community organizing Explore how contemporary AAPI artists are reshaping cultural narratives and reclaiming space through radical aesthetics and collaborative practice. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube 📍 Recorded live at BG Gallery , Santa Monica, CA 📅 Presented in honor of AAPI Heritage Month…

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265 Queer Landscapes, Dual Lives, and the Art of Looking Closely with J. Carino 1:00:44

13 days ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Queer Landscapes, Dual Lives, and the Art of Looking Closely with J. Carino Painter J. Carino joins What’s My Thesis? for a candid conversation on the formation of a deeply personal visual language—one that straddles autobiography, queer identity, and reportage practice. Known for his emotionally resonant paintings that combine landscape, figure, and storytelling, Carino reflects on a unique career that led him to his upcoming solo exhibition Carry It With You at Yossi Milo Gallery in New York, on display from June 26 - August 22. Carino speaks candidly about the challenges and freedoms of sustaining parallel careers in publishing and contemporary art. He traces his transition from NYU to Parsons, where studies in reportage and drawing from life laid the foundation for his immersive painting practice. From plein air sketches in national parks to nude Zoom drawing sessions during the pandemic, Carino’s shift from illustration to painting allowed for a more intimate, layered exploration of what it means to live a dual life as a queer artist navigating coded and compartmentalized spaces. The episode delves into the tension between visibility and vulnerability: Carino discusses using a pseudonym to separate his children's book authorship from his painting, and the risks of addressing queerness explicitly in art intended for young audiences. Yet it’s precisely this openness—to complexity, to contradiction, to personal mythologies—that infuses his paintings with emotional depth and political resonance. Carino’s recent recognition on the cover of New American Paintings (juried by Jerry Saltz) and his upcoming show mark a pivotal moment in his trajectory. His reflections on drawing as survival, the spiritual force of nature, and the layered meanings embedded in his imagery reveal a practice rooted in authenticity, discipline, and deep curiosity. Featured Topics: – Drawing as a foundation for painting – The politics of queer representation in children’s literature – National parks, plein air practice, and the American landscape – Eroticism, intimacy, and compartmentalized identity in art Follow J. Carino on Instagram at @j.carino.art, and explore his upcoming exhibition Carry It With You at Yossi Milo Gallery (@yossimilo) through August 22.…

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264 Strategic Generosity: Collecting, Curating, and Championing Emerging Artists with Leslie Fram 1:06:28

20 days ago1:06:28

1:06:28

Strategic Generosity: Collecting, Curating, and Championing Emerging Artists with Leslie Fram In this galvanizing episode of What's My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza is joined by Leslie Fram—collector, curator, marketing strategist, MFA educator, and tireless champion of emerging talent—for a sweeping conversation that summons the urgent need for innovation as well as entrepreneurial literacy among artists today. Fram’s multifaceted career is an exercise in forecasting trends. Formerly a dancer with the NYC Ballet, Fram studied art at Parsons, founded a fashion design company, became the Trends Editor of Cosmopolitan, obtained an MBA from Columbia University, segued into early Internet enterprises… and eventually arrived in Los Angeles to engage with the city’s emerging art scene. Fram has cultivated a holistic approach to art, deploying business models from the various industries she has worked in. Marrying aesthetics with infrastructure, community with commerce, her approach is unique. Fram speaks candidly about the genesis of her annual MFAs of LA exhibitions, a curatorial endeavor born from her desire to showcase under-recognized artists while removing traditional barriers to entry for collectors. She shares her exhibition experiments in transparency, scale uniformity, collector-artist collaborations and her belief in art’s ability to generate new forms of economic and social engagement. Fram’s insights are consistently bracing, generous, out-of-the-box and solution-oriented. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how artists can reclaim agency in the marketplace, why building relationships is central to sustainability, and how Fram herself continues to assist emerging artists on their respective trajectories to success. Through direct mentorship, educating with her strategic marketing workshops, sharing information as a form of gallery-whispering, and many other modes, Fram is always advocating on the artists’ behalf. Topics covered include: The economics of emerging art: why size, pricing and communal experiences matter Institutional resistance to business education in art schools: how Fram works around it Collectors: her plans to ensure new collectors enter the marketplace, offering artists more opportunities for sales; understanding that they are artists’ best supporters and how to build authentic relationships with them; perhaps, finding a different name for “collector” New models and formats: from artists’ managers to new apps and technologies The future: art sales, blockchain royalties, and the power shift away from legacy galleries systems This episode is a masterclass in strategic vision, offered by someone who has not only built a practice around elevating others, but continues to do so with a rare mix of compassion, clarity and enthusiasm. Guest Leslie Fram Follow her on Instagram: @lesfram Host Javier Proenza…

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263 Astrology, Embodiment, and the Myth of Power: A Conversation with Alystair Rogers 1:24:20

5 weeks ago1:24:20

1:24:20

Astrology, Embodiment, and the Myth of Power: A Conversation with Alystair Rogers In this episode of What's My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza is joined by artist Alystair Rogers for a searching, radically honest exploration of transformation—personal, political, and astrological. Traversing terrains of gender, spirituality, social critique, and visual language, Rogers shares the deeply embodied trajectory that led to his MFA thesis: an immersive installation confronting capitalism, queerness, and cosmic time. With the insight of a cultural theorist and the intuition of a mystic, Rogers recounts how early encounters with Scott Cunningham’s Solitary Practitioner and a DIY magical practice laid the groundwork for a conceptual framework rooted in astrology, myth, and critique. From testosterone therapy and shifting social legibility, to trans embodiment and the slow violence of neoliberalism, Rogers discusses the pain and revelation of becoming, with humor and precision. Their thesis installation—centered around a reclaimed domestic space lit by planetary lamps and anchored by a satirical infomercial titled Sea World: Spiral 'Til You're Free —is a poetic and confrontational meditation on how billionaires might be coaxed into their own undoing. Through this absurdist yet sincere gesture, Rogers dissects the mythologies of power, proposing alternative logics of time, value, and being. What emerges is a searing, wide-ranging conversation that refuses binaries—between subjectivity and objectivity, spirituality and politics, or critique and care. Rogers makes a compelling case for astrology not as superstition, but as an expansive, generational clock—a way to read time not only in hours or revolutions, but in revolts and revelations. Topics discussed include: Trans identity and the phenomenology of transition The astrology of Pluto in Aquarius and its revolutionary implications Queer embodiment and the aesthetics of self-determination The failures of liberal institutions and the weaponization of speech The installation Sea World , capitalist mythology, and speculative resistance This episode offers a rare convergence of the personal and planetary, blending social analysis with an artist’s pursuit of symbolic coherence. Rogers’s work embodies a form of queer speculative myth-making—one that critiques the world as it is while gesturing toward the one that might be. — Guest: Alystair Rogers Instagram: @alystair.rogers Host: Javier Proenza Podcast: What’s My Thesis? Support the show: Patreon.com/whatsmythesis Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify #queerart #transartists #astrologyart #MFAthesis #artandpolitics #plutoinaquarius #socialpractice #whatsmythesis #aly stairrogers #artpodcast #decolonizegender #anti-capitalistart…

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262 Building Gene’s Dispensary: Community, Curation, and Creating New Art Spaces in Los Angeles with Keith J Varadi 1:26:38

6 weeks ago1:26:38

1:26:38

Building Gene’s Dispensary: Community, Curation, and Creating New Art Spaces in Los Angeles with Keith J Varadi In this wide-ranging conversation on What’s My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza welcomes artist, curator, and writer Keith J. Varadi, founder of Gene’s Dispensary, for an illuminating discussion on forging alternative pathways in the contemporary art world. Through candid reflection, Varadi shares their journey from painting to sound art, music, and ultimately to the establishment of their independent gallery space in Los Angeles—a project that has rapidly become a vibrant hub for creative cross-pollination. Drawing on years of experience as both a practicing artist and an accomplished curator—with writing credits in Carla , Flash Art , Kaleidoscope , and Los Angeles Review of Books —Varadi discusses how health challenges, a deep commitment to community-building, and a rigorous interdisciplinary ethos led to the creation of Gene’s Dispensary. Operating in the heart of Los Angeles at 2007 Wilshire Boulevard, Unit 820, Gene’s Dispensary takes inspiration from DIY spaces, Black Mountain College, and the inclusive spirit of early L.A. dispensary culture. Over the course of the episode, Varadi reflects on studying at Rutgers and Virginia Commonwealth University, their experience living in New York and Pittsburgh, and the evolving sense of belonging they found upon relocating to Los Angeles. Topics explored include the challenges and possibilities of starting an art space without institutional funding, building a collector base from scratch, integrating musicians, comedians, and writers into gallery programming, and the nuances of L.A.'s cultural landscape compared to New York. Highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at Gene’s Dispensary’s chess tournaments, multidisciplinary performances, and the gallery’s mission to dissolve boundaries between visual art and other forms of creative practice. Varadi also offers insight into the gallery’s namesake, paying homage to socialist leader Eugene V. Debs and affirming a commitment to equitable practices within the art market. Whether you are an artist seeking alternative models of sustainability, a curator interested in community engagement, or simply an art lover curious about the dynamic intersections of creativity in Los Angeles, this episode offers a compelling portrait of persistence, generosity, and invention. Visit Gene’s Dispensary: 📍 2707 Wilshire Blvd, Unit 820, Los Angeles, CA 📲 Instagram: @genes_dispensary 🌐 Website: genesdispensary.co…

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261 What We Keep: Material Memory and Cultural Translation in the Work of Chenhung Chen 1:00:29

8 weeks ago1:00:29

1:00:29

In this intimate conversation hosted at Don’t Look Projects for her solo show By the Company They Keep , the Chenhung Chen traces a path from formative memories of classroom murals in Taiwan to a tactile, spiritually inflected sculptural practice rooted in the poetics of material and memory. Drawing on a lifetime of cross-cultural experience—born in Taiwan, educated in New York at the School of Visual Arts, and now based in California— Chen reflects on the diasporic transformations that shaped her worldview, her practice, and her understanding of artistic responsibility. Over the course of the episode, she speaks candidly about the lasting impact of calligraphy, the subtle power of Taoist and Confucian thought, and the slow labor of crochet and wire weaving as acts of embodied meditation. Her early engagement with Chinese ink painting, which emphasizes the expressive qualities of line and brushstroke, has evolved into three-dimensional constructions made from recycled electrical wires and cables—materials charged both with literal energy and symbolic resonance. The conversation explores the artist’s conceptual relationship to “order and chaos,” how her sculptural forms emerge from stream-of-consciousness gestures, and the intuitive logic behind her use of nontraditional materials. She discusses how her experiences as a medical and legal interpreter have revealed the porous boundaries between cultures and languages, underscoring the interconnectedness of all people. Throughout, she emphasizes the importance of embracing contradiction, translating cultural tension into visual rhythm, and honoring what she describes as “the inner world”—a central tenet of her creative methodology. Themes of hybridity, displacement, and the invisible labor of women recur throughout the dialogue, as the artist describes her attraction to utilitarian crafts like crochet and basketry, her reverence for nature, and her use of everyday materials—paper, staples, hair, and cables—as repositories of lived experience. The result is a body of work that operates like a visual diary: both diaristic and durational, deeply rooted in personal memory and shaped by global histories. From reflections on the Cultural Revolution and Renaissance painting to the pandemic-era shift toward domestic intimacy, this episode offers a nuanced meditation on what it means to make art across geographies, traditions, and states of being. For Chenhung Chen , to create is to process—an act of digestion as much as construction. “Everything I see, I take in,” she says. “And then it comes out.” — Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform. 🔗 www.whatsmythesis.com 📸 Follow on Instagram: @whatsmythesis 🎧 Support the show for early access: patreon.com/whatsmythesis #ChenhungChen #ContemporaryArt #FiberArt #AsianDiaspora #CulturalIdentity #MaterialPractice #TaiwaneseArtist #ArtPodcast #DontLookProjects #ByTheCompanyTheyKeep…

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260 Light, Legacy, and the Detroit Mindset with Gerald Collins 1:04:29

10 weeks ago1:04:29

1:04:29

This week on What’s My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza is joined in-person by multidisciplinary artist Gerald Collins, whose practice illuminates the intersection of architecture, chromotherapy, and community. Based in Detroit, Collins returns to the show for a candid and expansive conversation that moves through memory, material, and meaning with striking clarity. Spanning topics from childhood sketchbooks to large-scale light installations, this episode traces Collins’s journey from the east side of Detroit to Topanga Canyon and back again—both physically and philosophically. The artist reflects on the deep roots of his creative practice, from early encouragement during “bring your kid to work” days, to being admitted as a first grader into an upperclassmen art program, where he began printmaking and working with chalk pastel on a collegiate level. As Collins explains, his formative artistic influence stemmed from early exposure to Picasso’s Blue and Rose periods, and later, a deep investigation into chromotherapy—a therapeutic practice using color and light to alter spatial perception and emotion. Whether cutting into gallery walls or building immersive environments from scratch, Collins emphasizes the relationship between architectural space, color intensity, and human experience. Highlights from the conversation include: Chromotherapy and Perception: Collins unpacks how intense color fields can cause spatial disorientation, recalling immersive environments where corners of a room seemingly disappear into pure chroma. Material vs. Meaning: A reflection on Rothko, Picasso, and the emotional resonance of limited palettes. Creative Infrastructure in Detroit: Collins offers a powerful account of how mutual aid and collective support within Detroit’s artistic ecosystem has shaped his path. Ikigai and Artistic Labor: The Japanese concept of purpose (Ikigai) as a framework for balancing paid design work and an ambitious artistic practice. Installation as Service: Art-making as a humble, community-centric gesture rather than spectacle—“None of this is really ours,” Collins states, “we’re here to help each other out.” Also explored are Collins’s recent projects, including a large-scale light installation for the College for Creative Studies’ annual fashion show, where he collaborated with a Detroit production company to transform over 6,000 sq ft into a fully immersive environment with coordinated LED and video elements. He also shares insights into transitioning toward more transportable work, including sculpture and print-based media. A resonant thread of the episode is Collins’s embrace of service, humility, and gratitude—an ethos forged through personal adversity and community resilience. He speaks candidly about surviving a childhood brain injury, sidestepping violence growing up in Detroit, and finding purpose through both art and architecture. His presence is grounded yet visionary—a voice shaped as much by the Rust Belt as by the light itself. Listen now to hear how light becomes language, architecture becomes empathy, and Detroit becomes the backdrop for a singularly expansive practice. Learn more about Gerald Collins: 🔗 Instagram: @geraldcollins_ 🌐 Website: geraldcollins.co (site redesign in progress) 📺 YouTube: Search “Gerald Collins artist” to find past talks and documentation Support the show: 💥 Patreon – Early Access + More 📺 Subscribe on YouTube ⭐️ Leave a 5-star review to help the algorithm shine some light on us. #GeraldCollins #LightArt #Chromotherapy #DetroitArtists #ContemporaryArtPodcast #SiteSpecificInstallation #Chroma #WhatsMyThesis #JavierProenza #ArtPodcast #CommunityArt…

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259 The Radical Intimacy of the House Gallery: Rethinking the Contemporary Gallery Model with Liz Hirsch 1:05:29

11 weeks ago1:05:29

1:05:29

In this episode of What's My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza is joined by Liz Hirsch, co-director of 839—an artist-run house gallery in Los Angeles that reimagines what a commercial art space can look and feel like. Located in a 1920's bungalow, 839 is part of a growing network of intimate, artist-centered spaces shaping the future of exhibition-making in L.A. With a background in academia, curatorial work, and community organizing, Hirsch discusses the vision behind 839: a space that supports artists through solo shows, long-term relationships, and thoughtful engagement. Many of the gallery's artists-including Olivia Gibian, Andrés Janacua, and Nichelle Dailey-have recently presented solo exhibitions at 839, some for the first time. The episode touches on the realities and freedoms of running a house gallery, the gallery's upcoming presentation at NADA New York, and their limited-edition print series designed to make collecting more accessible. This conversation offers essential insights into how artists and curators are building new models of sustainability, intimacy, and care within a decentralized art world. Explore more: 📍 839 Gallery, Los Angeles 🌐 www.839gallery.com 📸 Instagram: @839gallery…

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258 Queer Spectacle, Polaroid Realities, and the Art of Wrestling with Identity with Christopher Anthony Velasco 1:37:38

12 weeks ago1:37:38

1:37:38

Queer Spectacle, Polaroid Realities, and the Art of Wrestling with Identity with Christopher Anthony Velasco In this illuminating episode of What’s My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza welcomes artist and educator Christopher Anthony Velasco—a polymath of performative personas, analog photography, and speculative queer mythologies. Known for his immersive character work and deep engagement with the aesthetics of subversion, Velasco brings an electrifying mix of vulnerability, irreverence, and narrative dissonance to a conversation that resists containment. Anchored by his long-running alter ego The Doctor , Velasco charts a performative lineage from backyard wrestling and horror cinema to body horror and experimental drag. His work collapses boundaries between art and entertainment, sincerity and satire, fiction and lived experience—what he terms “the art world as a wrestling ring.” Through characters like Krystal Carrington and Doctor Barbie , Velasco reclaims and retools identity through spectacle, queering archetypes from within. This episode explores: The influence of Japanese wrestling and horror film on Velasco’s photographic performance work The metaphysical potential of Polaroids as portals into alternate dimensions Drag as worldbuilding and trauma alchemy Navigating academia as a queer artist of color—from community college through CalArts and UC Santa Barbara Sobriety, creative resilience, and re-emerging with purpose Velasco speaks candidly about substance use, identity crises, and the emotional minefields of higher education, particularly the lack of institutional support for artists of color. Yet, the episode also brims with humor, warmth, and geeky tangents—from Transformers lore to micro machines, Proenza’s Miami coke-snobbery, and the joys of analog photography. This conversation is a living archive: disorganized, alive, and expansive. Like Velasco’s art, it makes space for contradiction, chaos, and camp without apology. Follow Christopher Anthony Velasco on Instagram at @caver83 Check out his podcast with Dakota Noot: Two in the Pinku — a deep dive into queer-coded Japanese cinema and cult classics. Hosted by Javier Proenza 🎙️ What’s My Thesis? is available on all major podcast platforms. 💥 Subscribe on Patreon for early access: patreon.com/whatsmythesis 📸 Follow the show on Instagram @whatsmythesis #ChristopherAnthonyVelasco #QueerArt #PerformanceArt #PolaroidPhotography #AnalogArt #DragArtist #BodyHorror #ArtistInterview #WhatsMyThesis #ArtPodcast #TransformersLore #WrestlingArt #LatinxArtists #CalArts #UCSB #ArtistSobriety #DavidZwirnerStyle #ArtAsSpectacle #CampArt…

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257 Building a Gallery from the Ground Up: Materiality, Mentorship, and Making Space with Rhett Baruch 1:26:25

13 weeks ago1:26:25

1:26:25

In this episode of the podcast, host Javier Proenza is joined by Rhett Baruch, founder of the contemporary art space Rhett Baruch Gallery, for a candid conversation that moves fluidly between car culture and curatorial strategy—touching on everything from VTEC engines and flat-plane V8s to the architecture of gallery identity in Los Angeles. Baruch discusses his unconventional journey from car enthusiast to gallerist, tracing how a passion for craftsmanship, aesthetics, and the tactile qualities of objects evolved into a sharp curatorial practice. With no formal background in the art world, Baruch speaks to the DIY spirit that shaped the gallery’s beginnings—from styling vintage design vignettes in his historic Little Bangladesh apartment to leveraging Instagram to cultivate a following of interior designers who would become his first collectors. Throughout the conversation, Baruch emphasizes materiality, intention, and relationships over trend-chasing or institutional pedigree. His eye for precision, born of a background in automotive performance and design, guides Rhett Baruch Gallery’s focus on high-quality, often hand-built contemporary works—from the sculptural paintings of Cole Seager and Christopher Ríos to the minimalist interventions of Satoshi Okada. Informed by an understated spirituality and a quiet resistance to conventional art world hierarchies, Baruch’s practice speaks to a broader shift in the collector landscape—one where emerging buyers are invited into the fold through aesthetics, storytelling, and trust. This episode offers an illuminating look at how one of LA’s most distinct young galleries is redefining what a contemporary art space can be: refined but accessible, rooted in design yet committed to fine art, and always evolving. Highlights include: How Rhett Baruch transitioned from automotive culture to the contemporary art world The role of interior designers in seeding a new generation of art collectors Rhett Baruch Gallery’s focus on material quality and process-based practices Thoughts on the art world’s relationship to faith, aesthetics, and the "white cube" model Building credibility without an MFA or institutional affiliation Gallery branding, voice, and strategy—from vignettes to vernacular Featured Artists Mentioned: Jonathan Todryk, Cole Seager, Christopher Ríos, Edward, Linda Keeler, Satoshi Okada, Laura Walberg Rhett Baruch Gallery Website: www.rhettbaruch.com Instagram: @rhett.baruch.gallery Listen to the episode on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Patreon (early access) Subscribe, Rate & Review If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave us a five-star review, share the episode, and consider joining our Patreon for early access to new episodes. #ContemporaryArt #ArtPodcast #RhettBaruch #RhettBaruchGallery #LosAngelesArt #EmergingArtists #ArtCollecting #GalleryLife #ArtAndDesign #MaterialityInArt #ArtistInterviews #CarCultureToCurator #ArtWorldInsights…

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256 Worldbuilding Through Memory and Myth: Elias Hernandez on Storytelling, Surrealism, and the Legacy of Conflict 1:03:46

15 weeks ago1:03:46

1:03:46

"Worldbuilding Through Memory and Myth: Elias Hernandez on Storytelling, Surrealism, and the Legacy of Conflict" In this immersive episode of What’s My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza welcomes artist and educator Elias Hernandez, whose deeply narrative visual practice draws from Latin American surrealism, video game aesthetics, and inherited stories of displacement and resilience. A recent MFA graduate from USC and collaborator with cult streetwear label Brain Dead, Hernandez charts a complex universe in his paintings—populated by star-bearing knights, sentient castles, and time-traveling wizards—where memory, mythology, and trauma are rendered in fantastical allegory. Born in Mountain View and raised between the Bay Area and Sunnyvale, Hernandez reflects on a childhood steeped in card games like Magic: The Gathering , which sparked his fascination with visual storytelling. These early interests evolved into a practice that explores “the burden and blessing” of cultural inheritance—from Salvadoran family histories shaped by civil war to folkloric Catholic imagery and Latin American feminist surrealism. In conversation, Hernandez discusses how drawing, teaching, and game-inspired worldbuilding intersect in his creative process. His paintings act as sequential mythologies—each one building upon the last—presenting a nonlinear, symbolic narrative of a hero's journey infused with biblical allusions, cosmic cults, and archetypes of good and evil. These compositions resist linear interpretation, instead inviting viewers into a slow unfolding of meaning that echoes oral tradition and pre-Columbian storytelling. As Hernandez explains, his work is not overtly political, yet it is politicized by its very existence within American contemporary art spaces. Drawing from artists like Otto Dix, Diego Rivera, and Leonora Carrington, his practice embodies a transhistorical dialogue where surrealist aesthetics and contemporary iconography converge—memes, murals, and medieval allegory colliding in a uniquely generational vision. Highlights include: How early exposure to fantasy media and tabletop gaming shaped his narrative sensibility The role of inherited trauma in the creative act and character development Reflections on his time as a bilingual educator in Oakland and the visual languages of immigrant youth A detailed breakdown of his fictional universe, including moon-worshipping cults and star-forging armor The spiritual dimensions of drawing and ceramics as ritual practices Insight into Central American cultural erasure and mythological reimaginings Hernandez’s work transcends medium and genre, bridging pop culture with ancient cosmology, and positioning painting as a vehicle for complex identity expression and speculative folklore. This episode is an invitation into the mind of a worldbuilder—one who channels collective memory into realms where the past haunts, empowers, and transforms. Follow Elias Hernandez on Instagram @eliasxhernandez and visit his website at www.eliashernandez.art . Listen now and subscribe to What’s My Thesis? on your favorite podcast platform. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a five-star review and support the show on Patreon for early access and bonus content. #EliasHernandez #LatinArt #SurrealistPainting #WorldbuildingArt #ContemporaryArtPodcast #WhatsMyThesis #ArtAndIdentity #FantasyArt #CivilWarMemory #MagicTheGatheringArt #USCArt #BraindeadCollab…

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255 Sanctuary in Practice: Art, Advocacy, and Survival with Dalia Palacios 1:16:16

16 weeks ago1:16:16

1:16:16

Episode Title: “Sanctuary in Practice: Art, Advocacy, and Survival with Dalia Palacios” In this luminous and profoundly intimate episode of What’s My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza is joined by teaching artist and community advocate Dalia Palacios, whose multidisciplinary practice and lived experience offer a compelling meditation on resilience, displacement, motherhood, and the transformative power of art. Palacios, born and raised in Echo Park, Los Angeles, recounts her early creative awakening amid housing insecurity, gentrification, and cultural dislocation. Her trajectory—from riding buses and bicycles across the city, to leading youth art workshops that reflect current gallery exhibitions—unfolds with honesty and urgency. With a voice shaped by community organizing, lived trauma, and poetic resolve, Palacios articulates the many roles she occupies: artist, mother, educator, survivor, and advocate. A former resident artist at Arts at Blue Roof, Palacios reflects on the pivotal experience of having a dedicated studio for the first time—a moment that catalyzed a deeply collaborative and experimental body of work, incorporating embroidery on paper, recycled materials, sculpture, and storytelling. The residency not only fostered material exploration but also offered a vital container for healing postpartum depression and longstanding mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic lockdown. Throughout the conversation, themes of intergenerational trauma, the stigmatization of mental illness in Latino communities, and the tension between art world access and grassroots engagement are explored with vulnerability and depth. Palacios shares how art has remained her sanctuary from childhood through motherhood, offering a rare continuity of purpose across ever-shifting landscapes. Highlights include: Her work with students at Angel’s Gate Cultural Center and the exhibition Black in Place Memories of learning to draw in Tijuana and formative punishment-as-creativity exercises Her advocacy against gentrification through graffiti, wheatpasting, and stencil work The profound role of community support in her healing journey The collaborative joy of working on a public mural with L.A. Commons and artist John Treviño Insights into applying for artist residencies as a parent and self-taught practitioner Palacios’s reflections are a reminder that the act of making art—especially in community—is a radical form of care. Her work speaks to the invisible labor of motherhood, the architecture of survival, and the quiet brilliance of those who create despite the odds. Follow Dalia Palacios on Instagram @blissone and stay tuned for her forthcoming website. Keywords: Dalia Palacios, LA artist, teaching artist Los Angeles, postpartum depression art, Arts at Blue Roof, Angel’s Gate Cultural Center, gentrification graffiti, art and healing, Latinx artist mental health, public mural Los Angeles, L.A. Commons, John Treviño, community-based art, artist parent residency, What’s My Thesis podcast.…

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254 Art as Infrastructure: A Conversation on Social Practice, Community, and the Evolving Role of Nonprofit Art Spaces in Los Angeles 1:33:19

17 weeks ago1:33:19

1:33:19

Art as Infrastructure: A Conversation on Social Practice, Community, and the Evolving Role of Nonprofit Art Spaces in Los Angeles An interview with Pranay Reddy, Director of LA Artcore In this compelling episode of What’s My Thesis? , host Javier Proenza sits down with Pranay Reddy, the director of LA Artcore, for a far-reaching conversation that explores the role of nonprofit art spaces as vital community infrastructure in Los Angeles. With clarity, conviction, and deep sincerity, Reddy offers an unfiltered look at his trajectory from punk and zine culture in suburban Colorado to leading one of the city’s longest-running artist-run institutions. The conversation traces Reddy’s early exposure to alternative music and DIY media, his education at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the profound influence of social practice artists on his own sculptural and photographic inquiries. Through personal reflection and institutional critique, Reddy unpacks the realities of inheriting LA Artcore’s legacy and reimagining it for a new generation—one that demands transparency, inclusion, and intentional community-building. As the city contends with stark inequalities and ongoing housing crises, Reddy’s leadership emphasizes LA Artcore’s position in a broader ecosystem of mutual aid, solidarity, and decolonial cultural work. The discussion touches on the failures of the commercial art fair model, the limitations of traditional museums, and the importance of small-scale, grassroots infrastructures in giving artists room to experiment and be seen. Reddy shares details about LA Artcore’s upcoming programming, including: Naman – A self-titled exhibition by a collective of Philippine X diaspora artists, opening March 15, exploring contemporary identity, historical presence, and visibility. Labkhand Olfatmanesh – A powerful installation centered on grief and grounding practices. Teamoz – An artist whose research into panda symbolism interrogates the complexities of U.S.–China relations. Tokyo Exchange Exhibition – Featuring ten artists from Tokyo, reactivating LA Artcore’s longstanding commitment to international dialogue. Through it all, Reddy reaffirms his belief that artists are conduits of the communities they live and work in—and that art, at its best, is an infrastructure for care, connection, and change. Follow LA Artcore Instagram: @laartcore Website: laartcore.org Follow Pranay Reddy Instagram: @p_reign — 🎧 For early access and to support independent arts media: patreon.com/whatsmythesis #LAArtcore #PranayReddy #SocialPracticeArt #NonprofitArtSpaces #ArtistRunInitiatives #DeColonialArt #CommunityArts #PhilippineDiasporaArt #TokyoArtExchange #WhatIsContemporaryArt #WhatsMyThesisPodcast…

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253 Artist-Run Futures, and Burning the Art World Down (Gently) - Cat Gunn 1:28:00

18 weeks ago1:28:00

1:28:00

Spiritual Kinship, Artist-Run Futures, and Burning the Art World Down (Gently) - Cat Gunn In this episode of What’s My Thesis , Javier Proenza welcomes Cat Gunn—artist, curator, and co-organizer of Other Places Art Fair South (OPAF South)—for a wide-ranging conversation on community, creative identity, and the radical possibilities within artist-run spaces. Rooted in their early relationship to art and shaped by their current role in the San Diego-based initiative Harvest and Gather, the dialogue illuminates the power of collaborative curation and experimental presentation. Gunn shares the ethos behind Harvest and Gather’s programming, which includes boundary-pushing moments such as a bonfire where artwork is ceremoniously burned—a powerful gesture of impermanence, intention, and spiritual offering. As OPAF South emerges as a new chapter of the long-running artist-run platform Other Places Art Fair, Gunn reflects on mentorship, shared resources, and the liberatory potential of decentralized arts infrastructure. With detours through magic, conceptual art, regional aesthetics, and the politics of visibility, Proenza and Gunn discuss what it means to make and sustain art outside of market logic. Topics include: Cat Gunn’s transition from drawing and animation to curation and community-based practice The philosophy and provocations behind Harvest and Gather How artist-run spaces function as spiritual and political interventions San Diego’s evolving art ecosystem and Gunn’s collaboration with MCA on OPAF South Queerness, geography, and the differences between art scenes in Baltimore, Miami, L.A., and beyond The sustainability of DIY and underground creative labor in a post-pandemic landscape For those compelled by the invisible architectures of care, resistance, and ritual in contemporary art, this episode offers an inspired look into what’s being built just outside the spotlight. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Support the show on Patreon for early access and bonus content. Follow Cat Gunn and Harvest and Gather on Instagram: @harvestngather #CatGunn #WhatsMyThesis #JavierProenza #HarvestAndGather #OPAFSouth #OtherPlacesArtFair #SanDiegoArtScene #ArtistRunSpaces #ContemporaryArt #AlternativeArt #QueerArtists #ArtPodcast #ArtWorld #ConceptualArt #SpiritualArt #ArtBurning #GrassrootsArt #CommunityArt…

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252 Art Criticism, Political Engagement, and the Role of Discontent with Elwyn Palmerton 1:05:51

19 weeks ago1:05:51