Art
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Forget about spoons, socks, or ketchup. I want a coffee
Conversations with Virgin Mary This afternoon I arrived at Jorge’s house with my homework done, that was the feeling I had, accomplishing on avoiding one of my many cases of procrastination, finally I completed and submitted an application for a grant in the Canada Council for the Arts, I have been tracing a plan about…
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Be Like Your Dog
Conversations with Virgin Mary Jorge stood up and told me: “I think we need to finish this conversation on another occasion. I have things to do.” I didn’t expect that reaction from Jorge about radiation. I think I touched a very sensitive nerve. Should I ask, or should I remain silent? I decided not to…
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Please Be Seated
The narrative revolves around a person dealing with their mother’s declining health and family dynamics while juggling art submissions. They contemplate hiring help or considering a nursing home as their mother is increasingly dependent on a wheelchair. Amidst these challenges, they receive recognition for their artwork at an upcoming event, prompting reflections on meaning and…
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Under Pressure
The author reflects on a recent experience involving a flower arrangement inspired by lessons from Virgin Mary. Despite waiting for a meaningful message, the author feels frustrated and finds no enlightenment. Conversations with Jorge reveal that performing tasks without expecting rewards fosters personal growth. They discuss the importance of managing pressure, comparing it to a…
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Form Follows Function
Conversations with Virgin Mary I returned home from Milwaukee. I had time to visit the House and Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, and Taliesin, his cottage in Wisconsin where he lived for 50 years. It was an interesting visit, almost like archaeology—uncovering the past, even if it is a relatively recent past. I…
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It’s not you, it’s me
The quantum observer as the definition of art When I was younger, in high school, I started to realize what was the art world, I made my first Art essay, mostly copied from other authors. And for the first time I wondered what was art. As a young student with no life experience I, intuitively,…
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NowHere
The author reflects on personal struggles while in Milwaukee testing a new cashbox for buses. Despite facing multiple rejections in their artistic endeavors, they express resilience in continuing to experiment. The narrative intertwines themes of family challenges, particularly concerning the author’s mother with Parkinson’s, and philosophical musings on waiting and existence at a bus stop,…
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Clean Up Your Windows
Conversations with Virgin Mary I saw a chicken trying to cross the road, just like in the videogame. There were no cars, only mine, slowing down. I think it was a chicken, the window was so dirty from the melted snow on the roads. What was a chicken doing there? I live on the rural…
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Do I look like chopped liver?
The narrator shares an afternoon with Jorge, discussing personal growth and the importance of sharing one’s creative work, particularly with family. They reflect on the narrator’s mother’s resilience amid illness. Jorge urges the narrator to send meaningful letters and serve as a reminder of the value found in overlooked, humble experiences.
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A Massage For Your Scalp
Conversations with Virgin Mary Everything I plan refuses to end as planned. I have been sending applications to every open call where I believe my work belongs, and the results have been the same: rejection. I have grown so accustomed to rejection letters that they no longer surprise me. I don’t ask why anymore. I…
Carlos Fentanes 