All in legacies
Collages are for me a kind of Memento Mori, a reminder of mortality and that what we do with our lives defines us. Much of our activities can be traced to the objects with which we surround ourselves. Unearthing these early collages from my own archives reveals a biographical portrait of my family ancestry.
As an artist, I am a collector. My garage and studio are crammed to the roof with THINGS! I don’t want to leave these as my legacy so it is time to declutter. I told a friend what I was doing and she suggested I watch “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” which totally resonated with me. Don’t leave your mess for someone else to have to clean up.
You can move away from a town, but it can still draw you back to it. Returning to the small town of Mansfield to honour the life of a friend, was also a process of honouring and integrating the many parts of my own life.
I’ve written many blogposts about having a daily practice, for experimentation, documentation and accountability. What I now realise is that it is also an important tool for reviewing your own artistic development.
“Can I help you?” is such a powerful question. It implies assistance, service and vulnerability. Service to others was one of my parents’ core values which I have inherited. I believe this is a key ingredient to mentoring.
