I'm a hoarder of ephemera, specifically the shit I scribble. The urgent need to store paper treasures and ripped-up sketches is stifling! Maybe 100 years from now, someone will find dusty chests packed with countless sheets of my nonsense. Most of the stuff I keep has "investigations of meaning." There are no mistakes in art, just happy accidents and mindful contributions. This collage is purely being made for my archival obsession. And it's just the start of my journey to learn more about myself. I doubt this will ever be finished but it's nice to have laying around the studio. The large canvas contains moments of idea discovery. Perhaps it's like a mood board? Who knows, point is, it's something that is helping me clear my head.
"GET OFF YOU CELL PHONES, GET OFF WITH EXPERIENCE"
First concept to note in the upper right corner (or if you are the canvas, it's left) is the phrase, "get off your cell phones, get off on experience!" iPhones are the demise of our humanity. Heavy?! I normally have to be on my phone or laptop, whether it be for work or pleasure, but damn when I take time away from social media specifically - WHAT A FUCKING DIFFERENCE. And when I invest in a technological rest-- now that's the winner winner chicken dinner. Living your time solely for you is what we miss out on. Next time you hit a coffee shop, just enjoy and observe. Scrolling and watching people's lives is dumb when you can just spy on people's lives in real time. Isn't that better?
"WHERE DID THE VILLAGE GO?"
Another note-worthing thing in this collage is the saying, "where did the village go?" When I moved to NYC, I had a version in my head that was crafted by Technicolor musicals and 1960's footage of live music. The big apple still is the the coolest place in America, but there is serious change. Mom and pop shops aren't as common and close at a high rate. How people interact and socialize is different. Times change, people change. When I had my shop, I felt as though I had a time capsule back in time, to days of just shopping, hanging, and having fun in the Village. Would have worked in 1973, but not 2020. Supporting local businesses and buying cool, unique shit isn't a logical anymore. Rent is high and money can be made, but people rather be on their computers and phones than hit a store. I made some of my dearest friends amongst long term residents of the village. You know, people that have lived here for 20 years+ and have seen it spiral into a mall of banks and chains. The true cool people of New York know the importance of it's diversity and of the little guy! Downtown NYC was cultivated by immigrants of all origins, but today the Village is starting to feel like a corporate jungle. I mean, look at the tenement buildings. The architecture varies street by street -- why? Because the Village was built on different cultures coming together as one. And today, Greenwich Village has a PLETHORA of reasons of what it's changed, all circling back to gentrification on large scale. I'm lucky to have the mindset to appreciate the small biz and try to continue thriving in the Village without losing my cool.
