I always notice boxes in stores. Every box has an artist somewhere in the
process, whether it's Tony the Tiger breakfast cereal or generic air
fresheners. I've been known to go
through all of the Kleenex boxes on the top shelf to find the prettiest pattern
to keep on my desk. I feel like my
purchase rewards the best artist, even though artists aren't paid commission,
but maybe the best artists get appreciated a little more by their employers?
I sometimes get annoyed that "commercial" art is
less valued than "fine" art.
Okay, maybe stripes aren't going to get people very excited at an art
gallery, but illustrators make beautiful art with a lot more restrictions and
headaches than someone who paints whatever they want to paint. Norman Rockwell, N. C. Wyeth, and many more
illustrators were remarkable artists, "even though" they were
illustrators.
I was visiting friends recently and noticed a Charley Harper
book. I happily looked through his
images and was inspired, comforted, intrigued, and more as I thought about how
much his art influenced my childhood environment. How much of his work was commercial, and how much fine, and what
difference did it make? Good art is
good for everyone, no matter if it's a zoo poster or a one-of-a-kind
painting. In fact, I'm enough of a
populist to think the more people with the poster, the better it is for our
whole society.
Another friend came to my house for the first time. I'll admit, I can be a bit self-conscious
about first-time visits because once in a while I notice that my home is
eccentric and eclectic (and usually messy).
In other words, different than the ways most people decorate. I don't own a beige wall or a properly fluffed
accent pillow. It's just easier to
meet at a restaurant than to host people.
At the same time, it always fascinates me to see what other people
notice when they come over. Yeah, large
painting on the floor will get noticed, but beyond that, where do their eyes
land?
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| This stripe pattern was also used as a tower of boxes |
