Of the Earth is a podcast created by Cortney Chaffin and Ellen Larson, two art historians who have dedicated themselves to the study of over 5,000 years of material culture from China. The program’s title comes from the Chinese word 本土 (bentu), meaning “native soil.” In each episode, Of the Earth digs into a wide range of topics, introducing listeners to the many connections, complexities, and contradictions of Chinese art and culture, across time and space.
China's Southern Paradise: An interview with Dr. Yiwen Liu of the Cleveland Museum of Art
In this episode, Cortney & Ellen interview Dr. Yiwen Liu a research assistant at the Cleveland Museum of Art about the special exhibition China's Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta (open till January 7, 2024). If you are in the Cleveland area, be sure to check out this extraordinary exhibition! The exhibition catalogue is currently available online and in the museum store. Thanks for listening to our podcast!
30 Jan 2023
Hidden Letters: A Conversation with Violet Du Feng (Part 2)
Part 2 of our conversation with award-winning director and producer Violet Du Feng. We talk about her recent documentary film Hidden Letters, which follows the stories of two millennial Chinese women connected by their love of Nushu, a secret language of sisterhood that dates back hundreds of years. For more on Feng's film see: www.hiddenlettersfilm.com. Hidden Letters is available for viewing on Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play and Amazon Prime Video. Follow Hidden Lett...
12 Jan 2023
Hidden Letters: A Conversation with Violet Du Feng (Part 1)
In part 1 of this two-part conversation, we sit down with award-winning director and producer Violet Du Feng to talk about her most recent film Hidden Letters, a documentary that follows the stories of two millennial Chinese women connected by their love of Nushu, a secret language of sisterhood that dates back hundreds of years. For more on Feng's film, which is currently shortlisted for an Oscar, see: www.hiddenlettersfilm.com. Hidden Letters is available for viewing on Ap...
9 Jun 2022
Zhang Hongtu: "Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?"
What does Bodhidharma (founder of Zen Buddhism) have to do with Van Gogh? In this episode Cortney & Ellen sat down to talk about NYC-based artist Zhang Hongtu, political pop, and a series of ink paintings where Zhang Hongtu merges Bodhidharma and Van Gogh to challenge "East" and "West" dualities. The question "Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?" is a koan, or a thought riddle, used in Chan/Zen Buddhist practice to help practitioners break through rational patterns of thinking a...
14 Mar 2022
Xu Bing: The Art of Non-Being
In this episode of Of the Earth we chat about one our all time favorites, contemporary artist Xu Bing 徐冰. We share our experiences co-curating his 2012 exhibition at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, along with the artist's many Wisconsin connections. Considering works like Book from the Sky (1987-1991) and Background Story: A New Approach to Traditional Landscape Painting (2004-ongoing), we explore the relationship of Xu's works to the Chinese concept of Wu (non-being, emptiness). F...
31 Oct 2021
An Otherworldy Murder Mystery: The Ghost Bride with Special Guest Yangsze Choo
Just in time for Halloween, Cortney & Ellen sit down with New York Times Bestselling author Yangsze Choo to talk about her debut novel The Ghost Bride. We dig deep into the origins of this ghostly murder mystery that takes us on a journey from late 19th century Malaya into the Plains of the Dead and beyond. How would you feel if you received a proposition to marry a ghost? Why are offerings to the dead so important in Chinese culture and Chinese diaspora cultures? How do modern deat...
5 Oct 2021
Bonus Episode: The Politics and Pyrotechnics of Cai Guo-Qiang's "Sky Ladder" with Shanny Luft
Recently, Cortney & Ellen sat down with Shanny Luft, host of podcast No Cure for Curiosity and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, to talk about contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang and the Netflix documentary Sky Ladder. We discussed the impact and scale of Cai's explosion events, the collaborative nature of his work, and the precarious line between art and propaganda. Check out No Cure for Curiosity for an alternate cut of our conversation with Shanny!
6 Sept 2021
Prophetic Tortoises: Divination and Augmented Reality Through Time and Space
In this episode, Cortney & Ellen dig into one of the earliest existing records of writing found anywhere in the world. Once believed to be dragon bones, these objects have evoked fascinating, even controversial links between the past and the present. So settle in as we discuss prophetic tortoises.Show notes:Curious about King Wu Ding's favorite wife General Fu Hao? Check out Cortney's essay on Smarthistory.org to learn about Fu Hao's many roles in Shang society and the discovery of her to...
20 Jul 2021
Staging the Afterlife: The Temporalities of Lady Dai
In this episode, Cortney & Ellen discuss everyone's favorite 2,000 year old Chinese mummy who dreamed of immortality. How was this ancient Han dynasty woman's body so well preserved? Why did she drink mercury regularly and how do we know? What do objects in her tomb have to do with lunar exploration and Netflix? Tune in to find out!If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to our podcast, share with your friends, and leave us a review! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at @...
4 Jul 2021
Bonus: Learn the Chinese Dynasties with Cortney & Ellen!
Ever felt overwhelmed by how many Chinese dynasties there are to learn?! In this bonus episode, Cortney & Ellen introduce the "Chinese Dynasties Song," an incredible tool for learning the names of the Chinese dynasties. Impress your friends at the next cocktail party! Fair warning--this tune is an earworm. Before you know it, everyone will be singing along with you! We want to hear from you! Send us your own video performing the Chinese Dynasties Song and tag us @oftheearthpodcast on Inst...
28 Jun 2021
Staging the Era: The Temporalities of Cao Fei
In Episode 1, Cortney and Ellen discuss contemporary artist Cao Fei's latest retrospective organized by UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.Link to "Cao Fei: Staging the Era" virtual guided tour with UCCA's director and CEO Philip Tinari and Cao Fei : https://www.theartnewspaper.com/interview/cao-fei-ucca.
16 Jun 2021
Of the Earth Prologue
Series introduction to Of the Earth--A podcast that digs into the connections, complexities, and contradictions of Chinese art across time and space.
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