Art Wortd Coop

The Thought Project by Simon Hogsberg is very close to the spirit of Sophie Calle, with a slight postsecret twist. Here, too, the idea is simple: ask strangers what they were thinking at the very moment you stopped them. What impresses is the quality of the answers. It seems everyone here is either a writer or a character in a book. That is the impression I have gotten when (rarely) I had the chance to see/read Sophie Calle's work. How can the world be so filled with these amazing characters, these wild thinkers, these witty artistes... Don't get me wrong - not necessarily complex, deep thinkers. But... good people. Ben Harper asks Where'd all the good people go. To the Thought Project.
Then again, Hogsberg interviewed 150 strangers. And on the web page have 55 of them speaking. How was the choice made? In this case, isn't art the sort of science which can allow itself to be subjective, to be flawed, to be partisan? Don't we deserve some hope?

Sunday I worked all day alone and got 2 new portraits finished. I have a pretty yet conservative piece for a Golden Retriever named Major and a colorful memorial for a sweet Rotti by the name of Guiness. I really enjoyed playing with these 2 pups. Sunday was a cloudy dreary day and it was the perfect weather to settle in with my wacom tablet, a six pack of diet coke, and my music.

What a small world the web can be. I love it when local portrait clients find me on-line. This morning a very local web connection occurred for me. Passing a familiar neighbor on my morning dog walk we exchanged early morning chit chat and I discovered she is an ebayer, and doll collector. I got her user name and over my morning coffee I checked out her auctions. So you are probably thinking "oh you are talking about some sweet little lady that collects and sells dolls". Well yea, she is a nice gal but I would never call her a "sweet little lady". Her ebay listings are fun and clever exercises in creative writing. What a sense of humor! She has a few Barbies up for auction this week and a little plastic German gal named Lily (she is a real show stopper). Skipper & Midge go to the fair in one photo spread, while her writing for a dark haired pony-tailed Barbie just made me laugh out loud: "I can't tell if she is smiling at me or making fun of me. Maybe she is just remembering someone from her past" ... and she just goes on and on.

If you are an ebayer needing writing inspiration check out this gal's ebay listing today ... her auctions are ending soon. Click here to be amused, and place a bid while you are browsing.

This weekend I challenge you all to put down the mouse and get outside. Talk to your neighbors. Find out if they ebay, you might just get a glimpse inside their "web worlds" where we all get to play and be ourselves.

Gilles Barbier, The Prince of Bellies (2003)
Gilles Barbier, Le Terrier (2005)

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