I have been thinking about Pam's fear of loosing one's self when fully entrenching in the study of death.
I have realized, or accepted, that I have been battling this very snare over the last few months. Sure, you could say I have been obsessive in my death related research habits. And maybe this whole project has me feeling down. The days and months do move forward.
But, this morning I realized that some thing was staring at me from behind. It wasn't that labeled human brain, raccoon skull or dead bundle of carnivorous plants over on my table. No. Then and there it was, just as the sun was warming up my room. All my answers regarding death research doom were solved. It was... my excitement for private collections! The nature of being alive and hoarding odd things!
Well then.
I did what one needs to do. I called 2 of my project advisers, (they are superheros really).
What does it mean to be the person who collects "such and such" quirky objects? Why do we spend our time entertaining ourselves by collecting tiny figurines, silverware, stamps, or dead animals? This is our one chance at spending time alive... and we spend it collecting and doing really odd, or not odd, things. What do collections or quirks tell us about spending our time being alive and being human? How bored would we be if we did not each have our own quirk or "thing" to entertain or time by? Its beautiful, really. Consider Dax, who collects dresses and ball gowns. Andrea and her pigeon tattoos, or my other friend who's clothing closet rod supports hangers carrying every shape, length and texture of black; only black. Or my other friend who surrounds himself in new computer parts and despises toast and sunlight. We all have our way of spending time and adorning ourselves with what we hold dear. People are interesting and I get bored. So.
Lo and behold.
I want an entire museum now.
Not just an exhibition.
Maybe a spacious gallery will suffice.
I also want a concept specific bookstore within my new museum, my own collection of thousands of objects that are placed in storage and wrapped in clean acid free archival boxes, at least two or three galleries for exhibiting said objects, a joint death midwifery institution, to work freelance for other museums, start a side medical museum with a temporary exhibition space, to obtain a pony, and an intern.
Project adviser Dax and project adviser Jordan say, "You're brain is a bit busy." I say, that is why I have them as project advisers.
They ask me what else I have in mind. That way they can be sure to advise me on what NOT to do right now.
So follow me on this one, kay? Its my way of solving the depressing tax that comes with researching death death death.
There needs to be at least two exhibitions. One concept positioned next to the other.
The first, on death. Of course. And these exhibits, stations, interactive, artwork... this section exhibits the forbidden and the taboo of spending time looking at death in Western culture. Confrontation of fears over medical problems, new design strategies for burring the dead, artworks or books like the Wisconsin Death Trip.
The second section, this is on the quirkiness of living. What are the odd things people do with their time alive?
I am addicted to looking at people's private collections. Maz hoards flatware (sorry Maz, I mean you "collect" flatware). Boxes and boxes full. Often times people collect and do not display. But in the case of Dave, his garage is full of curio cabinets. This guy has a 10 foot, no wait, maybe its a 12 foot anaconda skin, frogs playing baseball, medical electrical devices he uses to zap people at the Maker Fair, and 30 baseball mits. There is a teacher in London who saved all the objects he confiscated from his elementary students, complete with weapons handmade-by-6-year-olds, coins, and love notes.
I want to look at what we do with our time alive, by exhibiting people's private quirky collections.
Then in the next room of my new museum (that inevitably has the person riding a horse out front), there is that exhibition making us look at death death death. And how we handle it approaching.
So existential. But , yes. It could be great, right?
I am going to start with my storefront in SOMA. Which is only one thin room. The idea will be contained. It will be small. And it is so messy in there right now.
But I will meet new people and they will introduce me to their private collections. I have Jordan helping me make a Youtube channel dedicated to this investigation process. I will borrow people's objects and look at how they are spending their time being alive. Or maybe their objects say something else about human life in general. And next to these exhibits about the quirkiness of living, there will be death.
God help me, there will be a Kickstarter, (for materials to make an exhibition opening, with guest speakers and cheese), and a month long exhibition.
After that, I will take over the museum world. Or at least get my own museum. Or something dreamy like that. I've got to entertain my time somehow.
And so do you. Do you have any leads on people with quirky collections?
Email me at thebodyappropriate@gmail.com
I have realized, or accepted, that I have been battling this very snare over the last few months. Sure, you could say I have been obsessive in my death related research habits. And maybe this whole project has me feeling down. The days and months do move forward.
But, this morning I realized that some thing was staring at me from behind. It wasn't that labeled human brain, raccoon skull or dead bundle of carnivorous plants over on my table. No. Then and there it was, just as the sun was warming up my room. All my answers regarding death research doom were solved. It was... my excitement for private collections! The nature of being alive and hoarding odd things!
Well then.
I did what one needs to do. I called 2 of my project advisers, (they are superheros really).
What does it mean to be the person who collects "such and such" quirky objects? Why do we spend our time entertaining ourselves by collecting tiny figurines, silverware, stamps, or dead animals? This is our one chance at spending time alive... and we spend it collecting and doing really odd, or not odd, things. What do collections or quirks tell us about spending our time being alive and being human? How bored would we be if we did not each have our own quirk or "thing" to entertain or time by? Its beautiful, really. Consider Dax, who collects dresses and ball gowns. Andrea and her pigeon tattoos, or my other friend who's clothing closet rod supports hangers carrying every shape, length and texture of black; only black. Or my other friend who surrounds himself in new computer parts and despises toast and sunlight. We all have our way of spending time and adorning ourselves with what we hold dear. People are interesting and I get bored. So.
Lo and behold.
I want an entire museum now.
Not just an exhibition.
Maybe a spacious gallery will suffice.
I also want a concept specific bookstore within my new museum, my own collection of thousands of objects that are placed in storage and wrapped in clean acid free archival boxes, at least two or three galleries for exhibiting said objects, a joint death midwifery institution, to work freelance for other museums, start a side medical museum with a temporary exhibition space, to obtain a pony, and an intern.
Project adviser Dax and project adviser Jordan say, "You're brain is a bit busy." I say, that is why I have them as project advisers.
They ask me what else I have in mind. That way they can be sure to advise me on what NOT to do right now.
So follow me on this one, kay? Its my way of solving the depressing tax that comes with researching death death death.
There needs to be at least two exhibitions. One concept positioned next to the other.
The first, on death. Of course. And these exhibits, stations, interactive, artwork... this section exhibits the forbidden and the taboo of spending time looking at death in Western culture. Confrontation of fears over medical problems, new design strategies for burring the dead, artworks or books like the Wisconsin Death Trip.
The second section, this is on the quirkiness of living. What are the odd things people do with their time alive?
I am addicted to looking at people's private collections. Maz hoards flatware (sorry Maz, I mean you "collect" flatware). Boxes and boxes full. Often times people collect and do not display. But in the case of Dave, his garage is full of curio cabinets. This guy has a 10 foot, no wait, maybe its a 12 foot anaconda skin, frogs playing baseball, medical electrical devices he uses to zap people at the Maker Fair, and 30 baseball mits. There is a teacher in London who saved all the objects he confiscated from his elementary students, complete with weapons handmade-by-6-year-olds, coins, and love notes.
I want to look at what we do with our time alive, by exhibiting people's private quirky collections.
Then in the next room of my new museum (that inevitably has the person riding a horse out front), there is that exhibition making us look at death death death. And how we handle it approaching.
So existential. But , yes. It could be great, right?
I am going to start with my storefront in SOMA. Which is only one thin room. The idea will be contained. It will be small. And it is so messy in there right now.
But I will meet new people and they will introduce me to their private collections. I have Jordan helping me make a Youtube channel dedicated to this investigation process. I will borrow people's objects and look at how they are spending their time being alive. Or maybe their objects say something else about human life in general. And next to these exhibits about the quirkiness of living, there will be death.
God help me, there will be a Kickstarter, (for materials to make an exhibition opening, with guest speakers and cheese), and a month long exhibition.
After that, I will take over the museum world. Or at least get my own museum. Or something dreamy like that. I've got to entertain my time somehow.
And so do you. Do you have any leads on people with quirky collections?
Email me at thebodyappropriate@gmail.com
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