The Potatoes of Art and Affection

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The chapter delves into the unconventional world of potato art through the lens of Agnes Varda, a pioneering filmmaker who found beauty and meaning in the overlooked vegetable. From heart-shaped potatoes to art installations, Varda's unique perspective challenges traditional norms and invites contemplation on the ordinary. The chapter culminates in a reflection on the aging process of a potato, prompting deeper contemplation on the beauty of everyday objects.

An ode to the small, the banal, the overlooked things that make up the fabric of our lives.

Most of our stories are about the big stuff: Important or dramatic events, big ideas that transform the world around us or inspire conflict and struggle and change. But most of our lives, day by day or hour by hour, are made up of … not that stuff. Most of our lives are what we sometimes dismissively call “small potatoes.” This week on Radiolab, Heather Radke challenges to focus on the small, the overlook, the everyday … and find out what happens when you take a good hard look at the things we all usually overlook.

Special thanks to Moeko Fujii, Kelley Conway, Robin Kelley, Jason Isaacs, and Andrew Semans

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported by - Heather Radke, Rachael Cusick, and Matt Kielty
with help from - Erica Heilman
Produced by - Annie McEwen and Matt Kielty
Original music and sound design contributed by - Annie McEwen, Matt Kielty, and Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by - Emily Krieger and Diane Kelly
and Edited by - Alex Neason

EPISODE CITATIONS:

Audio -
Check out Ian Chillag’s podcast, Everything is Alive, from Radiotopia.

Museums -
Learn more about The Museum of Everyday Life, located in Glover, Vermont, here.

Newsletter -
Heather Radke has a newsletter all about small potatoes. It’s called Petite Patate and you can subscribe at HeatherRadke.substack.com.

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Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.