Podcast Pick: 'Broad City's' Abbi Jacobson talks art in 'A Piece of Work'

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Is there a way to talk about modern art in an unpretentious way?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Abbi Jacobson's A Piece of Work podcast.

Jacobson, who's best known for playing her alter-ego Abbi on Broad City, has a new audio series. A Piece of Work, co-produced by MoMA and WNYC Studios, discusses contemporary art in a fun and lighthearted way.

The show works, because the curious Jacobson earns her listeners trust instantly. She shares a story about how, in her early twenties, she'd design greeting cards and hide them in the Museum of Modern Art's gift shop among the other cards. The reason? Hopefully, someone would want to purchase her card, then the person at the register would be confused about the origin of the card, and then the gift shop employee would find Jacobson's number at the back of the card, and call her.

The phone call never came, but hosting an art show could be the writer and artist's true MoMA calling.

Jacobson uses her art school degree and eye as an illustrator (you can see her work in a recent book) to assess modern works with famous friends and museum curators, without ever talking down to listeners.

In the first of 10 episodes, which come out every Monday and Wednesday, Jacobson talks with comedian friend Hannibal Buress (who also appears on Broad City) about the ready-made work, Bicycle Wheel.

"What is the art and who gets to decide and why?" Jacobson asks earnestly. "That's some high (stuff)," Buress says. "Maybe he's just trolling."

The "he" in question? French artist Marcel Duchamp, who listeners will learn plenty about in Jacobson's breezy 20-minute show.

For last week's Podcast Picks, go here.