Aesthetic Arrest Podcast: Donyale Luna, Barkley L. Hendricks, Allison Russell & A Fairytale Birthday Feast!

“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell

Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!

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This Week’s Apéritif: 2022 Viognier Bela Voda from Tikveš Winery in North Macedonia

[Photo by Ryan Wildstar]

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Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:

Reading: Les Enfants Terribles (The Holy Terrors) by Jean Cocteau

Purchase here

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Listening: Cry Me A River by Hilario Durán & His Latin Jazz Big Band

Purchase via Alma Records

• Official Site of Hilario Durán

• Renowned Cuban Pianist Hilario Durán to Release Cry Me A River Album (via World Music Central)

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Looking: The Art of Barkley L. Hendricks

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• Official site of the Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks

• Check out the current exhibition: Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick (September 21, 2023 to January 7, 2024)

• The Frick’s First-Ever Solo Show for an Artist of Color Will Pair Barkley L. Hendricks’s Stylish Portraits With Its Fabled Old Masters Collection (via Artnet)

Purchase here.

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Viewing: Donyale Luna: Supermodel — directed by Nailah Jefferson (HBO & HBO Max)

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Tasting: Ryan Elston’s Birthday Dinner at Dva Elena in Skopje, North Macedonia

From L to R: Dva Elena Terrace with Waterfall, Lazar Pearl Frizzante, Aged Goat Cheese Marinated in Olive Oil & 7 Spices, Giant Heirloom Tomato with Olive Oil & Onions, Cheese Plate with Smoked Roast Beef, Fresh Warm Garlic Bread,

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Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:

Reading: Sacred Spells: Collected Works by Assotto Saint

Purchase here.

• Read poems by Assotto Saint here! (via the Poetry Foundation)

• Remembering Assotto Saint: A Fierce and Fatal Vision (via Lambda Literary)

• “How Assotto Saint Taught Me to Live Again” by Danez Smith (via Them)

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Listening: The Returner by Allison Russell

Purchase or Stream (multiple platforms)

• Official Site of Allison Russell

• Allison Russell on Her Joyful New Album, ‘The Returner,’ Building a Rainbow Coalition and Redefining Americana as a 15,000-Year Movement (via Variety)

• Musician Allison Russell is full surprises and ambition on 'The Returner' (via NPR)

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Looking: The Art of Judy Baca (born September 20, 1946)

• Official Site of Judy Baca / Instagram

• Judy Baca at MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art)

• Judy Baca, the renowned Chicana muralist who paints LA’s forgotten history: ‘My art is meant to heal’ (via The Guardian)

• Chicana muralist Judith Baca receives National Medal of Arts in White House ceremony (via The Art Newspaper)

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Viewing: Donyale Luna: Supermodel — directed by Nailah Jefferson (HBO & HBO Max)

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Tasting: Ryan Elston’s Birthday Dinner at Dva Elena in Skopje, North Macedonia

From L to R: Dva Elena Terrace with White Cat Watching, 2015 Dalvina Hermes Vranec, Dried Plums Wrapped in Bacon, One Month Aged Grilled T-Bone Steak, Pancake Dva Elena with Cacao Cream and Melted Dark Chocolate, Ryan Elston Makes a New Friend

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That’s it for this week! But we want the dinner party to continue! So each week we are asking a “dinner party” question for everyone joining us here at our table. Last week, we asked: “What’s one of YOUR favorite duets?” Here are some of the great responses from the comments:

• Ryan Wildstar chose “Where is the Love” by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway!

• Ryan Elston chose “Some Velvet Morning” by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood!

• Ace Farren Ford chose two duets: “Far Away Blues” by Bessie Smith and Clara Smith, and “Insane Asylum” by Willie Dixon and Koko Taylor!

• Del Mar also chose two duets: “Get Closer” by Seals and Crofts with Carolyn Willis, and “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Freddie Mercury!

• Adam Bryson chose three duets: “The Next Time I Fall” by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, “Leather and Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley, and “Pancho and Lefty” by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard!

Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! That was last week . . . but we don't want this week's dinner party to end either!

So here is this week's question for the table:

This week, we talked about the amazing art of Barkley L. Hendricks and Judy Baca. Both were part of a generation of artists reclaiming, reinventing and representing the human figure and the human portrait after decades of abstract and minimalist art. Both are particularly lauded for creating beautiful and empowering portraits.

So, our question for the table this week is:

What’s one of YOUR favorite portraits?

Is it the Mona Lisa? The Girl with a Pearl Earring? Or a portrait by Vincent van Gogh? Or Frida Kahlo? Or Kehinde Wiley?

Tell us your choice in the comments and we’ll share some of your responses on next week’s podcast!

Also, don't forget to stop by The Epicurean Vagabonds Substack on Wednesdays, to check out our revamped Mid-Week Libations! Now with audio segments featuring Ryan & Ryan!

And thank you for joining us for Season Two of Aesthetic Arrest!

Cheers to that!