The third installment of “Shifting Spotlights,” a series of interviews through which Writer in Residence Chelsea Rozansky investigates authorship, attribution and notability.

An interview with Canadian artist Tobaron Waxman is presented. When asked about the role of masculinity in his work “Amidah,” Waxman explains that “Amidah” is from a period of his life where he lived in a gender-segregated environment to study Judaism and references a silent prayer recited three times a day for which ten men are present. Waxman goes on to discuss his work “Fear of Bearded Planet” and the stereotype of a Jewish or Arab man.

The article reviews the exhibition The Future of Décor, featuring the video and installation art of Adel Abdessemed, on display at the Onsite Gallery of OCAD University in Toronto, Ontario, from November 26, 2010 to February 13, 2011.

Artist project by Scott Treleavan

The article focuses on Baltimore, Maryland-based photographer Nate Larson's representation of conjecture, curiosity and wonder in his photographic works. It describes how his works explore belief in the supernatural image as a proof of the miraculous, as well as skepticism that demystifies such wonders as a trick of photography. It discusses his various works including the “Potato Manifestation,” “Tortilla Manifestation,” and “How I Came to See the Virgin Mary.”

The article focuses on the role of magic, occult and the countercultural ritual in the works of artist Scott Treleaven. It states that his works are embedded with occult figures and practices, allusions to mythology and punk graphics. It discusses his various works including the zine “This Is the Salivation Army,” the picture “Grand Invocation 2,” and occult films like “Silver,” “Gold” and “Last 7 Words.”

The article reviews the book “Idols of the Market: Modern Iconoclasm and the Fundamentalist Spectacle,” by Sven Lütticken.

This article considers the spiritual in art, discussing the relationship of 1970s endurance art, Linda Montano, and Velcrow Ripper’s documentary film Scared Sacred to meditation and practices of eastern religion. The authors write about the risk of failure involved in art that is spiritual in nature, and propose Nicholas Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics as a potential alternative approach.

In this article, the author describes the disorienting and supernatural effects of David Askevold’s photographic work in the recent exhibition The Burning Bush, The Burned Bush, The Bush Trap.