Look Out

I am exploring themes for this project. Round and round they go like so many towels in a dryer, tumbling one over the other, tangling and finally loosening to separate and stand out.

My working title is Second Hand. Which somehow pushes ahead of Thrift Shop Art, or Second Chances, or Treasure Trove. Of course, there are the tried and true titles, like Opp Shop and Twice as Nice or Two Times New. And all the other various iterations and plays on words that have to do with stores that sell donated treasures, heirlooms, junk and trash.

I fret that this project is trivial. Just thrift store stuff arranged into still life scenes. And then I stop for a compassion break, and let go of those old rules that say my art has to say something.

This, That and the Other

Maybe this combination of images for a two-page layout? Not that other image, the one of the angel with a harp. I don’t usually give photographs in my books captions or labels, but WOW that record player brings up some great ones. Solid State. Party Time. Great Music.

Would this other thing work? A photograph of an old car parked outside the second-hand store. And what about this beautiful handmade quilt with big, bright tulips embroidered in each block?

I like to build my projects as I go. I find stacks of photos overwhelming. I swap pictures in and out and see what works. I wonder if the project will meander to specific colors or themes? So far, I’m spinning on the color wheel.

In this Moment

Taking these photographs with my iPhone camera has been incredibly fun. With so little to fiddle with in terms of camera settings, the work is mainly about composition. The process involves noticing and rearranging and watching light and then working fast to take the pictures.

Am I drawn to these pictures because my mother loved thrifting? Because we were deeply happy together in this pursuit, finding treasure.

Am I forever enamored with the hope of second chances? The kindness of sharing and passing along second-hand things. The beauty of resourcefulness and constraints. I’m a girl who loves constraints. Give me a boundary and I’ll snuggle up to it.

Am I circling the idea that shopping might a be way that I numb myself and avoid those difficult feelings? Or is thrifting simply another version of wandering through a museum to soak up inspiration?

In these little thrift shops, there are no shelves of shame. I shop and take pictures. I try to be vulnerable and to see the vulnerability of others. My heart is open and I feel unexpected moments of compassion for us all. This is my no pictures diptych: compassion and vulnerability, side-by-side companions.