Belongings.
January 17, 2004
Maybe it was going to the James Rosenquist retrospective at the Guggenheim but I've been feeling sort of sick of materialism. Everything we encounter, it seems, is in some insidious way aimed at making us burn to buy something, anything (and, yes, I've spent twenty years in the belly of the advertising beast, stoking that flame). Even at the Rosenquist show, where the art is all about the decadence of commercialism, the giftstore has all sorts of Rosenquist books and fridge magnets and coffee mugs.
Anyway, I feel like I own too much and appreciate it too little. So I am going to try to get more out of what I have and scale back, if possible. I even cut out my planned trip to the art store this afternoon. We'll see how long this resolution sticks.
I like the idea of a journal diet. Draw everything you own. Everything. Every single book, every stick of butter and shoelace. Now that would be a humbling experience. Or just draw everything you eat for a week. You'll be thinner, calmer and happier.
Speaking of calmness, I continue to wrestle with my new server, but the break at the Guggenheim was refreshing and inspiring.
A record of my exploration into all aspects of drawing, illustrated journaling, creativity, and the inspiring aspects of art. By the author of "Everyday Matters," "The Creative License", and "An Illustrated Life" and other books.
Comments
Danny,
This Morning as I drew my piano I listened to Studio 360 on the radio. The topic was the relationship between art and advertising. They interviewed James Rosenquist while walking through the Guggenheim. The interviews got me thinking about the relationships between commercialism and expression and drawing the piano got me thinking about personal quality of line and personal expression through practice.
More soon,
Catherine
Posted by: Catherine White | January 22, 2004 11:28 PM
Danny,
Have you read either of Peter Menzel's books - Material World: a global family portrait or Women in the material world? Traveling the world as a photojournalist, Menzel asks families to bring out their most treasured possessions for him to photograph - whether it is a few clay pots or the latest home theater extravaganza. Very moving.
Posted by: Kwint | January 22, 2004 11:29 PM
More or less materials: it's all beautifull without a reason. Even a bulky place is. A house with only one or two things you need is not MORE beautifull or MORE good for you than a bulky place. It's about letting the dualism go and accept everything what is.
Posted by: Marloes | January 22, 2004 11:30 PM
how about Real Simple magazine? that really gets me. pretty magazine, but lots of stuff in it to buy.
I've collected paper, buttons and postcards for years, just to store them away, until I started taking an altered book class. Now I know why I was saving stuff.
Posted by: linda | January 22, 2004 11:31 PM
I just discovered your web page yesterday. Thought provoking journal. Very cool artwork. Thanks for putting it out there for all to read, see, and enjoy.
Meredith
Posted by: meredith | January 22, 2004 11:31 PM
he does have one great looking signature, doesn't he?
Posted by: Witold Riedel | January 22, 2004 11:32 PM
I'm not into the new-agey stuff, but I've gotten a lot of motivation for my scaling-back ideas from this Feng-Shui new agey book called "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston.
I'm about to pack up and move from Texas to Illinois next month, and I would love nothing more than to take ALL of my belongings and just drop 'em off at Goodwill. Then I think "well, except for my art supplies. And my sewing supplies and fabric. And of COURSE my music. And my climbing stuff, because that would be really expensive to replace. And my nice silverware..." See where this leads? Maybe the best thing would be to figure out which are the most important, and then look at everything else with a very critical eye.
In any case, in about a month from now we'll see how successful I have been in this new approach to my stuff. Let's just hope I'm not renting a storage space "just until I have a chance to come back to Austin and decide what I want to keep" or some other lame excuse.
Posted by: christina | January 22, 2004 11:33 PM
Kwint:
I have looked at Material World several times in my previous life when, ironically, I was considering it for visuals for ads. I see the book quite differently now and am quite haunted by the pictures of people and all their belongings arrayed in front of their homes. I remember when I lived in Pakistan as a kid and my best frineds were the servant's children. They owned a toy or two, a shirt or two, a book or two. And I was just a damned little pasha.
Posted by: danny | January 22, 2004 11:33 PM