News at Artotems Co.

Having & Creating Objects

10/7/2016

A favorite - The Stone Raft by Jose Saramago

We all have certain objects we own that have more meaning than other objects in our lives. A favorite sweater, a household item given to us by a family member, our cell phone, a beloved book, can all be touchstones that anchor us to a sense of connectedness in our life.

It’s always been this way for us. Museums are great places to see objects that are revered and held in high esteem for a multitude of reasons. They are anchors to the past and learning as well as examples of what we have valued throughout time.

Even our pets often have objects that are beloved. Certain objects are just important.

And then there is art…

Many of the objects created by artists are one of a kind. They are unique and have an expressive quality that you either appreciate or not. They differ from the favorite sweater you chose off the rack or ordered online. Unless the sweater was made for you it’s simply one of a multitude of sweaters being worn by many. Sure you can individualize some of these objects like your phone to some extent but still it’s a phone like thousands of others around you.

Creating a piece of art brings something into the world that literally didn’t exist before it was created. It’s almost a magical act of creation. It’s exciting!

Here’s a caveat… Art has a very long history. What we do now is influenced by that history. We almost can’t escape that fact. For a few fantastic examples check out the previous post by Mari, “Visiting the Moderna Museet in Stockholm - and Other Museums We Can't Stop Talking About” However, that doesn’t change the fact that when we create something new and different we truly have brought something new into the world.

"Original thought is like original sin: both happened before
you were born to people you could not have possibly met."
Fran Lebowitz

Art for me is a part-time endeavor. It satisfies the creative urge that often calls to me.

Here are a few examples of recent work with obvious artistic shout outs to those who came before.

Things Cubed - A series that continues to grow.

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Light Box – The Value of Objects

4/10/2012

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The Light Box

The Light Box Sculpture is part of an ongoing artistic project exploring how we relate to the objects in our lives and how we place various levels of importance on those objects. Our attachment to “things” and in particular specific objects is a subject that is not always well understood. We “love” our new phone or our new car, but what does that mean? We have emotional attachments to objects and it doesn’t always make sense even to the owner. It’s fairly clear why the family heirloom or object we bought to commemorate our travels abroad evokes a powerful sense of attachment. Also clear is the attachment to objects that make our lives easier and more comfortable. It’s less clear when an object has no specific use or isn’t related to an event or person and yet evokes that same sense of caring and pride.
This project is based on playing with light, shadows, and objects in a found and altered electrical box from the past. The intention behind it is to dignify each object or set of objects and give them greater importance than they intrinsically have on their own. While in some cases the objects by themselves are fascinating the box and light can showcase them and provide a greater sense of importance to them.

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Having & Creating Objects

Light Box – The Value of Objects

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