October | Music and Art | Week 39 | 10/1/2023
Describe your artistic style
In the summer of 2021 I finally had the opportunity to obtain a permanent place of my own. I was 25 years old and everywhere I'd lived had been a shared residence or a temporary one. The walls of our college apartment were populated with Game of Thrones posters and my room filled with pictures of my girlfriend - I'd never taken a domicile, empty and available, and furnished it to suit my unique style. So this was the first time I had to introspect on and assess my artistic style. More than just the color scheme of my comforter and pillows, I had to decide what type of furniture I liked, what paintings and posters I wanted on the wall, and what items made my home feel like mine.
I'd always been minimalist and color avoidant. Fond of the 70's vibe which I'd seen in Mad men, I lacked the confidence to commit to it. In the same way with my wardrobe, I always enjoyed and even somewhat envied the uniqueness of those who thrifted and rocked vintage items but I myself stuck to black, white and blue because I could style them easily and options for pairing were a multiplicity. So I took the same approach to my apartment.
I choose boxy, modern furniture either black or grey, with a minimalist feel. I also emphasized low-to-the ground furniture including my couch and my bed frame. One of the first purchases after my desk, couch, TV, and bed, was a bookshelf. I realized that part of my style was the prevalence of wisdom. I hung posters from Jordan Peterson and my Desiderata of course. I scattered books on the surfaces of my coffee table and end table. I mounted the TV for a minimalist look. I got a standing desk, a sound bar, and an Alexa device to integrate technology into the function of the place. And I hung my diplomas. I created quartiles in my apartment. [1] A kitchen, clearly delineated from the [2] living room, distinguished from my [3] reading corner, separate from my [4] working space. One open floor plan with different elements, united by a monochromatic and masculine essence. For the biggest open wall space above my low seated couch I put a very long, photo-canvas of the mountains, with blue, white, purple and pink colors, showcasing very clearly a sunset over the Rockies. I sat with that decision for almost 2 months, what to put in that space. I wanted it to be a nature image - it's what made me feel most relaxed and at home. Would it be the Italian countryside? The Appalachians? Would it be Sedona and the red rocks? Or maybe a picture of the beach and ocean? I introspected and decided that it was the Rocky mountains, the snow covered ground, and the perpetual blueish hues which I'd seen in Colorado, Montana and Alberta, that felt calming, powerful, masculine, and warm.
In recent years, since I've been fortunate enough to experience good health, I've been able to switch my focus from survival to philosophy and artistic appreciation, moving up the proverbial Maslow's Hierarchy. Here are 10 things I like stylistically:
[1] The artwork of Hiroshi Nagai depicting 50's America.
[2] The synthetic sounds and tech-positivity of 80's retro music.
[3] The aesthetic and futurism of 90's Japanese anime.
[4] The honesty, novelty, masculinity and romanticism of late 90's/early 2000's cinema and music.
[5] The architecture and Zen of a traditional Japanese house and garden.
[6] The futuristic science-fiction in the worlds of Blade Runner, Star Wars, Dune and Ex-Machina.
[7] The masculinity of black and white, stone, marble and dark wood.
[8] The décor of a home which includes historical statues, religious figurines, and wisdom literature.
[9] The incorporation of embedded technology into the house.
[10] The Japanese cityscape, the European countryside, and the rugged openness of the American West.
Comments
Post a Comment