Chatter Marks

EP 020 Living intentionally with Jovell Rennie

Photographer Jovell Rennie's ingenuity and talent continues to define both his personal and professional ambitions. His drive is influenced by his parents and his upbringing. When he was young, his mom passed away suddenly, leaving him and his dad to navigate life without their cornerstone. Jovell was a quiet, independent kid and his dad had a hands-off parenting approach—he was very present, but allowed his son to learn through experience. They both made it work and even thrived. 
Jovell holds many of his formative experiences close. He considers them often and applies them to his life and work. When taking photos, for instance, he believes in staying out of the way and not being a burden. His mom remains a constant presence in his life, and his dad is his biggest supporter. He says that, above all, his motivation is making them proud by always conducting himself with integrity.

EP 019 Protection and hope through illustration with Ted Kim

Illustrator Ted Kim is known for his unique art style, which includes complex and imaginative scenarios. These scenes have a tendency to depict hope and optimism. He says that this happened naturally—motivated, in part, after he got in the habit of watching documentaries that explored traumatic social issues and events of catastrophic, global failure. His art became his safety net, his method of inspiring self-preservation and hope. 
Recently, Ted has become more introspective about his life and his art. He’s learned that life may not play out exactly how we want it to, but—and this is something that he’s been saying a lot lately—everything happens for a reason.

EP 018 Rethinking art in the Circumpolar North with Charis Gullickson

Charis Gullickson is the Curator and Public Sector PHD Student in Art History at the Arctic University of Norway. Charis has a mantra, and that is: museums are not neutral. They’re institutions of culture and agents of change. This is a relatively new concept because, historically, museums have been repositories of antiquities, often displaying artifacts with problematic pasts. This is an issue because without knowing its past, we may revere certain pieces of art and ignore their origins, which could result in perpetuating problematic ideas. So, a lot of Charis’ work is focused on contextualizing classic art so that it can be used as a tool for change.

EP 017 Glacial Erratics Part 4: Reconciling ecological loss by seeking reliquaries and memories in the Earth

This is Part 4 of a 4-part series curated by the research collective, Erratics—a curatorial group that creates art that explores geologic phenomena and the effects of human impact on the environment. In this episode, Nina Elder, of Erratics, hosts a conversation about Ghosts, Reliquaries and Memory. It draws on humanity’s handling of climate change and how that reveals our often fraught relationship to the planet, and it explores how artists are moving through this time of ecological loss by seeking reliquaries and memories in the Earth itself.
Nina is joined by artists Tanja Geis, Dionne Lee and Renée Rhodes.

EP 016 Glacial Erratics Part 3: Exploring and reimagining our collective future

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series curated by the research collective Erratics, a curatorial group that creates art that explores geologic phenomena and the effects of human impact on the environment. In this episode, Hannah Perrine Mode, of Erratics, hosts a conversation about futurism and hope. It draws from personal relationships to deep time and geologic forces from past and present, and explores the methods with which artists are questioning, exploring and reimagining what our collective future or futures will look and feel like.
Hannah is joined by artists Sofía Córdova, Alicia Escott and nicholas b. jacobsen.

EP 015 Glacial Erratics Part 2: Understanding our relationship with mutations, kin and hybrid bodies

This is Part 2 of a 4-part series curated by the research collective, Erratics, a curatorial group that creates art that explores geologic phenomena and the effects of human impact on the environment. In this episode, Tyler Rai, of Erratics, hosts a conversation about Mutations, Kin and Hybrid Bodies. It explores the ever-changing conditions of climate change, how our interdependence across species presents hybridized forms of collaboration and how, as a result, we are challenged to expand the ways we understand change and resilience.
Tyler is joined by sculpture and mixed media artist Flavia D'Urso, artist and engineer Jiabao Li and artist and poet Daniela Molnar.

EP 014 Glacial Erratics Part 1: How science and art intersect to help us understand humans’ complex relationship with nature

Erratics is a curatorial group that creates art that explores geologic phenomena and the effects of human impact on the environment. The group consists of three members: artist and researcher Nina Elder, movement artist and researcher Tyler Rai and interdisciplinary artist and educator Hannah Perrine Mode. 
In Part 1 of this 4-part series, we meet Tyler, Nina and Hannah and they explain the origins of Erratics, their work within the collective and what unifies that work. The intention of the following conversation, as well as the three that follow, will be to reveal the concepts and ecologies that are foundational to a broad group of artists who are responding to geology, change and human action.

EP 013 How sound influences our lives and our relationship with the natural world

In this episode, Cody talks with four artists and musicians about their work on the Anchorage Museum’s new exhibition titled Listen Up: Northern Soundscapes. The exhibition explores and considers northern soundscapes to better understand humans’ relationship with, understanding of and impact on the natural world. 
A soundscape is made up of all the sounds of a given environment. Artists and musicians were given a soundscape that they remixed using their distinctive styles. Their music styles range from acoustic and classical to hip-hop, ambient and electronica.