Faris McReynolds is a painter and musician whose practice engages directly with the structures of the contemporary art world. In this conversation, he reflects on his early entry into the gallery system, the financial realities of sustaining a painting practice, and the conditions that led him to step away from commercial representation.

The discussion addresses how wealth, collectors, and market forces shape artistic visibility and value, alongside a critique of galleries, art fairs, and institutional power. McReynolds also considers the distinction between underground and unsuccessful practices, the influence of social media on artistic production, and the possibility of maintaining an independent, long-term commitment to making work outside dominant systems.

In this episode of What’s My Thesis?, Los Angeles painter Jahn Baby Muller, a graduate of the USC Roski School of Art, joins host Javier Proenza to discuss his thesis work and the philosophical questions shaping his practice. Muller describes a body of still life paintings built from objects collected at estate sales—particularly toys and artifacts left behind by the Baby Boomer generation—which he stages as emotional narratives about generational inheritance and cultural memory.

The conversation expands into a broader reflection on how art is defined and experienced. Muller proposes that art is not determined solely by the artist’s intention but emerges through the experience of the viewer and the cultural context surrounding it. Alongside discussions of art education and institutional hierarchies, he explains how his work combines painting, large-format photography, video-game color palettes, and extended poetic titles to explore nostalgia, generational power, and the material remnants of previous generations.

Painter Katie Hector joins host Javier Proenza for a conversation on portrait painting, image culture, and the shifting cultural frameworks that shape how faces and bodies are represented in art. Hector reflects on her studio practice, discussing her return to figurative painting and the role of photographic source material in constructing contemporary portraits.

The conversation also explores Hector’s concept of a “shadow practice,” including her quilting work made from repurposed painting materials, alongside a broader discussion of portraiture’s historical associations with power, representation, and beauty standards. Together, they consider how contemporary artists engage with the legacy of portrait painting while navigating the visual language of digital and internet-based imagery.