Toni Morrison

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No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear by Toni Morrison
March 23, 2015, The Nation.

Christmas, the day after, in 2004, following the presidential re-election of George W. Bush.

I am staring out of the window in an extremely dark mood, feeling helpless. Then a friend, a fellow artist, calls to wish me happy holidays. He asks, “How are you?” And instead of “Oh, fine—and you?”, I blurt out the truth: “Not well. Not only am I depressed, I can’t seem to work, to write; it’s as though I am paralyzed, unable to write anything more in the novel I’ve begun. I’ve never felt this way before, but the election….” I am about to explain with further detail when he interrupts, shouting: “No! No, no, no! This is precisely the time when artists go to work—not when everything is fine, but in times of dread. That’s our job!”

A similar sentiment. (Paris Review)

Shrubs

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Ansel Adams (1902-1984)
‘GRASS AND RAIN, ALASKA’

mounted, signed in pencil on the mount, the photographer’s ‘131 – 24th Avenue San Francisco’ studio stamp (BMFA 4), titled and numbered in red ink (crossed out), Carmel studio stamps (BMFA 7 and 8), titled and numbered ’65’ in black ink, and with a ‘Virginia Adams Collection’ stamp on the reverse, overmatted, hinged to a modern mount, 1948, probably printed between 1950 and 1962 (This is The American Earth, p. 51) 5 by 6 1/4 in. (12.7 by 15.9 cm.)

Frederick H. Evans (1853-1943)
‘TEN PHOTOGRAPHS’ – 10. ‘Redlands Woods, 1893’

(New York: Witkin Gallery, 1971, a total edition of 60, 10 printed in platinum and 50 in gelatin silver), a portfolio of 10 platinum prints, each mounted, the portfolio label, with sequential numbers and ‘A. P. 1’ in ink, 1888-1911, printed in 1971 by George Tice; together with letterpress title/colophon, editioned ‘Artist’s Proof #1’ in ink, letterpress plate list, an introduction signed in ink by Evan Evans, the photographer’s son, and a preface signed in ink by George Tice. Folio, gilt-lettered green linen portfolio with flaps and slipcase.

via sothebys