Ecological art, art criticism and storytelling: Alex A. Jones in conversation with Michael Brenson

In April 2026, art critic Alex A. Jones came to the Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for a conversation with Artistic Director Michael Brenson about her long form essay “The Invisible River: Lauren Bon & the Aesthetics of Regeneration." Jones' writing project was awarded the foundation's inaugural Grant for Writing on Sculpture at the end of 2024. Video and editing: Rachael Bohlander. 0:00 Introduction 5:15 What is ‘Bending the River?’ 14:19 A phenomenological approach to writing 16:10 A “dead river”? The aesthetics of regeneration 22:14 Living sculpture 34:10 The regenerative impact of Lauren Bon’s ‘Not a Cornfield’ 35:20 Something is always emerging: The tentacular nature of ‘Bending the River’ 41:00 The role of the art critic in public awareness 44:20 “Self-obfuscating at times” 49:45 Vanishing into the work as a writer 52:50 Wonder 1:09:17 Exegesis and art criticism 1:11:39 The ethics of writing about ecological art 1:20:27 Storytelling: knowledge is alive and always changing 1:31:00 “This text is not over”: The future of ‘Bending the River’ 1:33:10 How has grant funding impacted your writing?