A SHORT ODE: "TO SURROUND YOURSELF"
A STRATEGY TO FEEL THE LOVE ALL AROUND
Went to the OPENING of the ALICE COLTRANE exhibition at THE HAMMER here in Los Ang, and we can strongly recommend.
Alice C.’s tunes absolutely surround.
Dear Snoops,
To be surrounded by that which one loves. That a wandering gaze should scan a room, for instance, and receive from that scan a sensation of enveloping-completeness, of a sensation of deep personal satisfaction and intimacy.
The homescape is part of what the magazine-oracles of NEST would have referred to as “HUMAN SELF-INVENTION”, and the ideal result of that “I LIKE WHAT I SEE”-ness.
There are versions of this, of course - i.e. pls choose to Love something that interests You, and not that you feel you should Love. Self-love is a love supreme.
Consider this when u are home-making. What is ur IMPETUS? For whom do you self-invent?
As part of our mission, we aspire to a Nuanced Taste-Puzzle of Individuality. This is an ultimate pleasure, as décor. And as décor this is a choice that we are casually being robbed of.
How, and by whom?
Today, on the eve-ish of SAINT VALENTINE’S we reflect a lost love of the homescape. Imagining, suggesting, perhaps even begging for its return.
It is: “THE COLLECTION”, a once-staple that is increasingly threatened in a techno-suffused existence.
We do not ‘Need’ a book, for there is ChatGPT as a knowledge source (lying piece of sh*t that it is); we do not ‘Need’ a compact disc, for there is a Tr*mp-supporting Swedish digital behemoth offering perpetual, artist-extractive music rental; we do not ‘Need’ photo-albums, for our phones are replete with 10s of Ks worth; we do not ‘Need’ a DVD, for there is infinity digital platforms.
Why, today, are tangible displays of our TEXTUAL TASTE* not prized (What, when u die, do you leave? Subscriptions; a Cloud?) They were f*cking brilliant. Their accessories of décor were f*cking brilliant — the bookshelf remains as Object Display, but the focused-use C.D. towers were an astonishing capture of burgeoning Cyberculture. Today, technology does its best to be hidden — is that because, when present, it unnerves us?
*FOR THE SAKE OF THIS ESSAY “TEXTS” ARE BOOKS MUSIC PERSONAL SNAPSHOTS, ETC.
For e.g.: THE PASCAL BAUER “C.D. ROLL”, ‘00. It is sculpture; you’d absolutely find this at FRI*ZE ART FAIR. Basic.Sp*ce would absolutely dream of some functional piece of décor that could justify being so zeitgeist.
This is a desirable object.
For e.g. #2, RON ARAD’s BOOKWORM. Which, for the sake of its slippy-slidey, slow meander of form is really NOT appropriate for “objects”, there’s only a couple places you could put some shrunken Eames lounger miniature or one of those Kristian Vedel birds without it looking Wonky-“Slide Risk”. But, THANKFULLY FOR ‘THE TEXTUAL COLLECTION’, books and compact discs simply are not your “TYPICAL” objects. The collect, in the literal sense, and the Arad-ian form almost demands a “many”.
Below, Ron A.’s own ‘worm, plus a f*cking squiggly-divine Arad-ian compact disc-specific holder, part of THE ONDA series. (PUBLIC REQUEST: SOMEONE PLEASE SOURCE THIS FOR US?)
His ‘worm would look f*cking stupid if it were “CURATED” with knickknacks ETC. ETC.
And Ron A. also did this (below, for Alessi) - he was really absolutely obsessed with C.D.-ification of décor!!!
The only kind of ‘meta’ we want in our life is that type that describes this packaging.
The ONLY KIND OF “DÉCOR” JUDGMENT THAT IS ACCEPTABLE
What is there, when arriving to a New Friend’s home for the first time? — certainly very little to peruse as an Access Point to know about what they like to put in their minds.
Straight-up décor is a much more complicated thing to read, tho it is a mission of FOR SCALE to bring this skill to our niche thousands of dedicated readers. But, A C.D. COLLECTION. With that you can snap-judge about compatibility, and/or at least devise some judgment-enabling follow-up questions. Like, “Why don’t u listen to Alice C.?”
Also, TO JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVER, maybe a parallel Humanity Failure is how we’ve let book covers - FOR THE MOST PART - go down the damn tubes. For e.g. GIOVANNI’S ROOM FIRST ED AND CURRENT ED:
L: ART; R: SH*T.
THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES OF TEXTUAL COLLECTION
Okay, so, the point.
To be surrounded by Things of Love.
We, more than most, expect that you should fill our homesphere with Objects of personal meaning. “THE COLLECTION” does this with exceptional skill – because they are a repetitive-ish multiple. Even a single compact disc is as a Seed; versus a vase. A vase doesn’t seem better with Friends, it seems worse. And, so a vase doesn’t carry with it the same Oomph, “surrounding you”-wise.
Plus, you know, a vase is cute, but freakish enemies of progress don’t burn vases out of fear. !!!Books!!!
WHAT A RETURN OF THE COLLECTION CAN MEAN 4 U:
… Other than an expanded world of décorobjects, such as Ron A.’s C.D. tower, and the Naoto Fukasawa wall-mounted compact disc player for Muji (which is the Naoto F. monograph COVER STAR), or this from ALESSI (!!!we want it back!!!
Some benefits of a RETURN TO COLLECTION-DÉCOR
Décor that both INTELLECTUALLY and PHYSICALLY surrounds you
To be radically anti-”Silicon Valley Tech Fraternity”
Some of the only Décor that can put visitors in a TRANCE as they explore YOU
A sense of making TRUE CHOICES, and not just ‘renting access to Infinity”
Long live VIDIOTS, by the way.
Much love, and let happiness Surround you.
For the love of books!
Yes to all of that. This really CHIMED.