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djll
djll@sirius.com
Tuesday, October 31,1995, 12:39 AM
djll
writes:
I spend more time washing my baby's butt than dishes.
And more time taking pictures of that baby, and that butt,
and that washing, than of the dishes, the sink, the trap.
I spend more time driving than any of that.
Where is the economy in the division of lanes?
Sometimes, when crossing the bridges or flying through tunnels, I
imagine a worm-tube arcing deep into the earth with the pitch of a
rollercoaster, my stomach leaping into my mouth as the car rushes
blindly forward, pitching end over end into dopplering blackness.
Tuesday, October 31,1995, 3:07 PM
Ben Kinmont answers:
djll,
if you're mot uncomfortable, could you please return with your
name? it just makes it easier to address letters, etc.
you're kid must be younger than mine, now. he is 3 years old and
no longer needs to be changed every 1-2 hours...but potty training
isn't cake either.
actually, i like the connection between other issues of
domesticity, especially maintenance and family as it is also
a major part of my life. another artist, merla ladermann-ukeles
(spelling?) wrote a very interesting manifesto in 1969 about being
a woman and choosing to do maintenance art, household maintenance
in particular; she has since moved on to large (very large)
projects working with sanitation facilities, vehicles, people,
in various cities around the world...sort of the christo of
garbage. she's fantastic.
anyway, i'd love it if you'd participate and send in a photo of
you doing your (and your family's) dishes. if interested, please
send to ADA WEB, attn: ben kinmont, 32 west 22nd street, 6th floor,
new york, n.y. 10010.
till then.
ben.
Tuesday, November 14,1995, 3:46 AM
tom dill
writes:
I will try to get the photo done, Ben. Be patient.
Do you live in NYC? If so, how do you stand it? I long ago gave
up on the notion that an artist must put him/herself in the
teeming midst of decadence and squalor, in order to soak in the
zeitgeist and so be able to spout forth the wonderful ferment...
I've had a bug in my head for a long time that being an artist
may be a sickness more than anything else. The voice of the
opposition to the modern age (hell, even the supporters: look
at the Futurists...they metamorphosed into the Fascists),
the artist suffers eternal dysfunction in relation to its
parent society. The result is almost always some
kind of self-destructive addiction.
I guess I've given away the fact that I too am an artist. Worse
yet, a musician. But right now I'm just being dad the
godlike provider.
td
Wednesday, November 15,1995, 1:56 PM
Ben Kinmont answers:
dear tom dill,
well...i suppose that it could be viewed as a sickness...or,
perhaps for some, it is about identifying an ailment. I'm not
sure where i exactly stand. it probably depends more upon what
type of art the artist is making, why, and what becomes of it, etc.
in this way, maybe it has more to do with each individual
artist; and maybe these shortcomings of artists in general
are more about their being normal.
anyway, thanks for your thoughts. and, i will be patient ('though
i look forward to seeing your picture).
yours,
ben.