When I am empty please dispose of me properly

For as long as I can remember I have loved collecting objects, particularly things that I could use or that would teach me something about their manufacture and culture. I went to a Waldorf School which gave me an extraordinary opportunity to study a variety of media, such as silversmithing, spinning and weaving, painting, etc. No doubt this has influenced the things that I like. I am particular fascinated with textiles, prints, ritual objects, such as masks, and most of all ceramics.

People often ask, “Why do you spend so much time and money on these things?” I must confess the answer is hardly profound or academic. They simply make me happy. Objects often concentrate the memory of a trip or an adventure into a token of that experience through which I can relive it in a more tangible way than if I were to rely on memory alone. This kind of recollection is similar to the way music or a scent takes one back to a particular moment. Therefore, the memory of the process of collecting has been just as important for me as the object itself at times.

Nevertheless, over the years I have come to gain a greater appreciation for the finer objects within the genres I collect. In art history this is an aspect of connoisseurship, which has rightly fallen out of favor as part of discussions of visual culture. However, it does have a place in collecting. And the process of collecting has greatly influenced my thinking about art and my teaching of art history. In this and subsequent posts, I would like to describe some of my thoughts and feelings about collecting and art.

In line with my interests I will write about the following topics, as well as irregular posts on specific artists and genres:

• Ceramics
• Textiles
• Prints