Boxes

Some time ago I went to a talk by the crisply astute Jacob Ciocci of Papperrad, on the subject of video art, animation, and..boxes. Artistic ideas are like boxes, he said, as they must have limits in order to contain good work. An elegant concept gives a lot of space for fun in the details, and I think Ty Segall's Goodbye Bread video (directed by the dear Matt Yoka!) is a great example of that notion at work.



I've always loved dioramas for their evocation. Joseph Cornell was a significant artistic influence for me,

as is Samuel Fosso, whose photography is quite diorama-like.

If I made a diorama of my life right now, it would be pretty boring. A girl sitting alone drinking tea. There would be reading, writing, waitressing. Lots of shoes. But if I made a fantasy diorama, what would that be?

I think I would fill it up with sand. Put some LA Gear hi-tops in it, throw in some dolphin noises. Watermelon slices on a plate, by a lawn chair, facing the ocean. Empty beach. Mostly quiet. Just some waves and dolphin noises.

In my box, I never get burned. In fact, tanning isn't even the goal. The sun keeps me warm and that's all that matters. The waves are cooling, but never cold. No one bothers me. I'm just chilling in my box, watching the sun set before I get up to go home.