Tuesday, March 4, 2008

my life is so hard.

Weeks worth of packing, crammed into about 10 days--and i'm finding it difficult to start the first box. I want those neatly labeled boxes that are easy to unpack--but likely, I'll have those cluttered "I don't know what's in there" boxes. At times like this, I wish I had a Samantha.

Here's something beautiful to look at by DC-based artist Sylvia Snowden--one of my favorite living artists. I first fell for her work about a decade ago--it was "Malik, Farewell 'Til We Meet Again" at the Corcoran Gallery. I lost track of time, but it had to have taken me more than an hour to get through that two-room exhibit. You know when you're at a museum and you see folks standing there glaring into a piece of art as if waiting for it to talk to them? I always think they're full of it. But Sylvia's work is glare-worthy to me...it talks to me and tells a story. One that is thick and paste-like and multi-dimensional. In "Malik," Sylvia remembers her son who was killed in a shooting when he was 18. She displays his belongings mostly, covered in goopy paint, arranged together to represent stages of his life--and I remember wanting to touch his high chair, squeeze his basketball, and try on his sneakers.

4 comments:

£ said...

Oh no...you're moving too? Seems like everyone is on the go these days.

doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore? © Carole King

But yeah...moving. yuck. I moved not too long ago(and to be honest im not still fully unpacked - i know, it don't make no sense lol)so i feel your pain.

I'm not too familiar with Sylvia Snowden, but i clicked on the link you posted and her "Malik farewell..." is utterly sad...and moving. I'm all emo now.

rashad said...

Living out of boxes is mad frustrating, especially when you hvae to find work clothes. So you'll sign my "move leave" petition?

Papier Girl said...

Well, I will be living out a one suitcase in about a week--which I guess beats digging through a bunch of bunches.

sure rashad--sign me up. are you really serious about this petition?

etoilee8 said...

This post made my eyes a little blurry with tears. C'est triste, non?