Hunter Gatherer

T h e  a r t  o f  c o l l e c t i n g -

I've been thinking a lot about the process / experience of collecting or gathering itself. And also I guess about the differences between what might be 'at hand' or even desired for one person in comparison to another. I came across a book in library on tribal Africa and aside from the fact that its pages were dripping in fabulous colour and intricate accessories, I read some really insightful, (and relevant) info:

With intention to seduce, young girls travel from camp to camp on donkeys to collect small object from which to make jewellery or plaques to adorn their garments. The Geerewol ceremony is an annual festival, which provides them with the opportunity to initial relationships and find a second, third or fourth husband.

Young Wodaabe men apparently have a really great love of outlandish fashion and sense of style. They too, search for objects in the marketplace - incorporating "odds and ends that they feel will make them look even more stunning."

I also really like the nature of the pieces in these images. Structures that frame the face, elongate the neck and sit on the head. It seems I have an interest in designing around the face, building out from the neck and up and out from the shoulders.  It provides an opportunity to create strong, sharp silhouettes and plays with proportion. 

H o a r d i n g -

When I think about gathering or collecting, a few examples spring to mind. Surely for everyone, there was that kooky friend of your parents who had a serious stash of owls or elephants. Hundreds of figurines - big and small - lined the shelves in their kitchen and living area, spilling outdoors; tucked away in pot plants or hanging from roofs. Then there was a schoolmate's Dad, who was committed to possessing an impressive album full of stamps. I certainly wanted to catch on as a child; in fact, I remember giving stamp-collecing a go. Soaked off the outside of envelopes from England to acquire that purple Queen head. 

I've been rather obsessed with TV show - Hoarders.  I find the people whose lives are exploited for the sake of a series absolutely fascinating. Obviously under the control of a mental disorder and usually having gone through a lifetime of adversity, their need to possess, conserve and collect is stronger than any other desire. 

Why the fascination? The extremity; the chaos; the colourful display of something more profound. 

I often think about our desire for possession. Particularly with fashion. 

Want. Need. Having. Owning. Collecting. Conserving. Defining ourselves.

This contemporary art installation is by Jannis Kounellis, who is apparently best known for his involvement with the Arte Povera movement, which sought to reconnect art with life by using everyday objects. This work, Untitled, implies human life, while simultaneously denying a presence, with a collection of battered old shoes, which appear to have no users. [The Contemporary Art Book, C. Bonham Carter and David Hodge; Goodman, London 2009]

Jason Rhoades created this installation - a gathering of objects, clothes, furniture and outputs of words, which serve as commentary on our over-stimulated, excessive and instantly gratified lives as result of the internet. [The Contemporary Art Book, C. Bonham Carter and David Hodge; Goodman, London 2009]

I love how this demonstrates a kind of organised chaos. All the same, it doesn't feel like a happy environment. 

Found at: treehugger.com

I came across these images tonight. Chinese artist, Song Dong, created 'Waste Not' at the Museum of Modern Art, which was comprised of objects that were hoarded by his mother 50 years ago in her Beijing apartment. I think there's something really beautiful and moving about the exhibit. I also like the sense of nostalgia. You know that with each of these 'meaningless' objects, there has been a personal attachment with a woman who obviously didn't regard them this way.