Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

My guest today is Jameson Green. Jameson is an artist living and working in Hudson, NY. He holds an MFA from Hunter College. Green has exhibited extensively with Derek Eller Gallery and Almine Rech, including solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, London, Brussels, and Santa Monica. His work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Dallas Museum of Art, Museo Picasso Málaga, and ICA Miami. You can also find Green's work in the public collections of the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the High Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Pérez Art Museum in Miami.

A couple weeks ago, Jameson braved a wild rainstorm to visit my Greenpoint studio—a rare reversal for this show. What followed was one of the most fluid and wide-ranging conversations I've had on ARTMATTERS, so I've split it into two episodes. On today's show Jameson and I discuss the three elements of great painting, draftsmen vs. pure painters, drawing, sampling from art books and other paintings, rhythm, abstraction, narrative, and why great paintings are littered with hypocrisy. We also discuss Frances Bacon, John Singer Sargent, Guston, Picasso, Matisse, and Jenna Gribbon. Enjoy this conversation with Jameson Green.
Special shoutout to my fluffy silent producer who finally made a sound mid-episode. Extra points if you hear her over the rain:)

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Host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
Instagram: @isaac.mann

Guest: Jameson Green
www.derekeller.com
Instagram: @r.jameson

Music by ARRN, Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

My guest today, Clova Rae-Smith, is a British jewellery designer based in New York City. Clova graduated from Central Saint Martins and was recognized as one of DAZED’s “UAL Graduates to Watch.” She specializes in grillz that blend fine art, fashion, and identity, and has quickly become one of the most sought-after jewelers in the industry. Clova’s work has been featured in VOGUE and ROLLING STONE, and her clients include Beyoncé (who gifted Clova’s grillz to her Renaissance Tour performers), Jorja Smith, and Bladee, along with collaborations with Pinterest and Fenty x Puma.

On today’s episode, I speak with Clova about social media addiction, burnout and breakdowns, and setting boundaries. We discuss the viral giveaway that helped launch her business during COVID, her experience with mentorships and her time at Central Saint Martins, and her move to New York City. Clova also shares some great advice and talks about exploring her new interests in drawing and pottery.

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If you’re enjoying the podcast, please rate, review, subscribe, and share on Instagram!

If you have any questions you’d like answered, write in to [email protected].

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Clova Rae-Smith
www.clovaraesmith.com
insta: @clovajewellery

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

My guest today is Robert Schefman. He is a Detroit-based artist with a BFA from Michigan State University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. 

His work is in collections at the Detroit Institute of Arts and The Broad, along with other major institutions, and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian and other venues across the country. He's a recipient of Pollack-Krasner and Kresge Foundation grants and is Professor Emeritus at the College for Creative Studies and is currently represented by David Klein Gallery.

In today’s conversation we talk about what happens when you're three-quarters done with a painting and want to quit. Why finishing isn't the same as just resolving it. How sketching out ideas first saves you weeks of work. Why your style comes from doing the work, not from deciding what style you want. Robert talks about why he switched from sculpture to painting. And we get into the trap of teaching or other work feeling like real progress while your actual art sits on the back burner.

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE and becoming a Patreon Supporter!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
  
 If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Robert Schefman
www.robertschefman.com
insta: @robertschefman

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Kyle Staver is a figurative painter who draws on mythological and folkloric traditions, reworking familiar stories with her distinctive use of color and shadow.

Staver earned her BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and her MFA from Yale University. She has received the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Prize, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award. She has had solo exhibitions at Nino Mier Gallery, Half Gallery, Zürcher Gallery, and Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, among others, with work in collections including the National Academy of Design, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, and The McEvoy Foundation.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Kyle. Listen to Part 1 first!

On today's episode, Kyle discusses the evolution of her color palette over time and her innovative new practice working in clay relief. We spend time deconstructing her 2023 painting Sleeping Beauty, then dive into the details—Kyle shares her go-to painting mediums and the colors she can't live without. Finally, she talks about a few of her favorite artists and offers some practical advice for younger artists.

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Questions? Email: [email protected]

Host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com | @isaac.mann

Guest: Kyle Staver
www.kylestaver.com | @kylestaver

Music by ARRN

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

My guest today is Kyle Staver. A figurative painter who draws on mythological and folkloric traditions, reworking familiar stories with her distinctive use of color and shadow.

Staver earned her BFA from Minneapolis College of Art and Design and her MFA from Yale University. She is a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Prize, and was previously awarded the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award. She has had solo exhibitions at Nino Mier Gallery, Half Gallery, Zürcher Gallery, Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, among others, with work in collections including the National Academy of Design, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, and The McEvoy Foundation.

On today’s episode I sit down with Kyle Staver in her studio to talk about some of the personal rituals that drive her work. We explore her early morning practice of redrawing yesterday's painting, the surprising pandemic experiment that led her husband Tom, to start her new canvases for her, and her philosophy around artistic collaboration and ego. Kyle shares how she approaches figurative painting without falling into creative ruts, her thoughts on contemporary relevance versus personal engagement, and her strict compositional rules about canvas edges. We talk scale, color and light, American goddesses and the circus.

This episode is jam-packed with helpful information and charm. And it’s a two-parter! Enjoy my conversation with Kyle Staver.

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE and becoming a Patreon Supporter!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
 
If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]
 
host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Kyle Staver
www.kylestaver.com
insta: @kylestaver

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

Today I'm speaking with Erik Sommer, a New York-based painter who is also the founder of Mott Projects, a contemporary art project space.

Sommer's work explores chance, beauty, and the attempt to control time through unconventional mark-making techniques. His practice incorporates industrial materials like concrete and drywall, reflecting his interest in urban decay and found textures.

After 15 years in an East Harlem studio, Erik relocated to the Catskills where he founded Mott Projects, which has collaborated with David Zwirner's PLATFORM and galleries in Los Angeles and Germany. 

In today's episode we discuss Erik’s transition from history major to self-taught painter, his philosophy of removing the artist's hand from the work, and how he balances studio practice with running a gallery all while working a full-time job. Erik and I also discuss artist-run project spaces vs. traditional galleries and his approach to supporting experimental artist projects and unconventional ideas.

Before we get into it, I'd like to help get the word out and say that if you're in New York City next week, Mott Projects is presenting a very special group show on Tuesday, September 9th, titled "San Diego, Los Angeles, New York, Sincerely." The exhibition is happening on the Lower East Side, and will feature 19 fascinating artists.

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE where you can donate using PATREON or PayPal!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
 
If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

Upcoming Exhibition Details: 

[SD, LA, NY, Sincerely]

September 9

5-9pm

C/O MI CASA STUDIOS 

70 Hester Street NY, NY 10002

Episode Details:

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Erik Sommer
www.eriksommer.art
insta: @erik__sommer

www.mottprojects.com
insta: @mott_projects

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

On this week’s episode Michael Stamm is back to continue with our conversation about his artistic practice and career insights.

Michael Stamm is a Brooklyn-based painter with an MFA from NYU and an MA in English Literature from Columbia University. He also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2016. Stamm has had solo and two-person exhibitions at Deli Gallery, DC Moore and Thierry Goldberg in New York, and Shul-amit Nazarian in Los Angeles. He is a NYFA Artist Fellowship recipient and has been featured in the New Yorker, Artforum, W Magazine, and Art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.

In today's conversation, Michael discusses his ongoing evolution from a controlled approach toward a more present, gestural practice while also sharing his current struggles with large-scale bodybuilder paintings that demand new technical skills in oil paint and expressive mark-making. This discussion with Michael moves from more practical studio tips and daily routines to deeper questions about artistic growth, the balance between spontaneity and planning, and how historical art continues to offer fresh ways of seeing. Michael concludes with hard-won career advice emphasizing professional positivity, strategic flexibility and giving up non-essential elements of your practice.

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE where you can donate using PATREON or PayPal!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
 
If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
 insta: @isaac.mann
 
guest: Michael Stamm
www.michaelstamm.com
insta: @michaelstammmmm

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists!

My guest today is the Brooklyn-based painter Michael Stamm. Stamm explores themes of strength and weakness, vice and virtue, and self-actualization versus obliteration in his work. Stamm received an MFA from New York University and MA in English Literature from Columbia University, and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2016. Stamm has had solo and two-person exhibitions at Deli Gallery (NYC), DC Moore (NYC) and Thierry Goldberg Gallery (NYC) and Shulamit Nazarian in Los Angeles; He is a NYFA Artist Fellowship recipient and has been featured in the New Yorker, Artforum, W Magazine, and Art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami.

In this first part of our conversation we explore Stamm’s multimedia process using stone and texture, his reliance on digital tools, the psychological function of his painted frames, his current technical explorations in glazing and figure drawing, why he can't replicate past successes, and his philosophy on time-intensive painting processes. Enjoy this conversation with Michael Stamm. 

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE where you can donate using PATREON or PayPal!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
 
If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Michael Stamm
www.michaelstamm.com
insta: @michaelstammmmm

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

My guest today is Dennis Kardon. 

Dennis is a Brooklyn-based painter known for his influential work 49 Jewish Noses and his most recent solo shows at Lubov Gallery and Massimo De Carlo. He has exhibited widely in the US and abroad, received major career grants including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and written for top art publications such as Artforum, Artnet and Hyperallergic to name a few. 

I sat down with Dennis at his studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yards during a massive rain storm a couple months ago and we had a great conversation. Dennis talked about his studio routine, his approach to painting and decision-making. He discussed consistency, abstraction, learning from other artists and his writing practice. Then we talk favorite mediums, brushes and studio tools before Dennis shares some great advice for young artists.

I really enjoyed meeting Dennis, I think his paintings are great, his writing is great and I think this episode is great too. So kick back, relax and enjoy my conversation with Dennis Kardon in the rain.

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE where you can donate using PATREON or PayPal!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!
 
If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest: Dennis Kardon
www.denniskardon.com
insta: @denniskardon

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.

Welcome back to ARTMATTERS: The Podcast for Artists.

This week on ARTMATTERS, we get back to our conversation with Brooklyn-based artists Krista Louise Smith and Elliot Purse. Like last time, this conversation explores their differing personalities, creative processes and the dynamics at play in the lives of a working artist couple. 

Today we discuss balancing introversion and extroversion, setting boundaries, maintaining focus, the emotional role of color, the importance of decisiveness and the imperative of mutual support.  

Krista Louise Smith has exhibited her work internationally in New York, Rome, Bucharest, and Seoul, with shows at CARVALHO PARK, Nicodim Gallery, and Half Gallery. Holding a BFA from OCAD University and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, she has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) grant, the Ruth Katzman Prize, and is a three-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation for the Arts Grant. In August 2023, her practice was highlighted in Artnet News' “Up Next” by arts writer Katie White.

Elliot Purse’s art explores masculinity, cultural symbolism, and the body through charcoal and paint. Influenced by sports and pro-wrestling, he reinterprets male power, blending classical techniques with modern critique. With an MFA from The New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Illinois, his work has appeared at the Norton Museum, the Flag Art Foundation, and the Spring Break Art Show.

Enjoy my conversation with Elliot Purse and Krista Louise Smith!

You can now support this podcast by clicking HERE where you can donate using PATREON or PayPal!

If you're enjoying the podcast so far, please rate, review, subscribe and SHARE ON INSTAGRAM!

If you have an any questions you want answered, write in to [email protected]

host: Isaac Mann
www.isaacmann.com
insta: @isaac.mann

guest 1: Krista Louise Smith
www.kristalouisesmith.com
insta: @kristalouisesmith

guest 2: Elliot Purse
www.elliotpurse.com
insta: @elliotpurse

Thank you as always to ARRN, the Detroit-based artist and instrumentalist, for the music.