author...illustrator...guerilla artist
author...illustrator...guerilla artist
Eva Hess is channeling herself through me. She keeps popping up in my life in various places when I least expect it, and when I most need it (if you recall I figuratively ran into her a year ago). And somehow she makes my art/life better.
Exhibit A (she died at a young age of a brain tumour, like my own mother)
Exhibit B (A letter written to her by Sol LeWitt, the thing I needed to hear)
"Learn to say, 'Fuck You' to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose-sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO. Don't worry about cool. Make your own uncool.
Make your own, your own world."
(excerpted from "The Accidental Masterpiece" by Michael Kimmelman)
Exhibit C (there does not seem to be a huge amount of information on her life, how is it I keep coming accross her in my travels?)
What else do you need me to know Eva? I'm all ears.
and eyes, and heart.
Posted by kerismith at January 25, 2006 01:15 AMOh thank god.
Today the world needs to fuck off, and leave me alone. It's funny how small things sometimes become so huge they consume everything but a narrow train of thoughts that lead to nowhere. And we forget that there's anything beyond it.
'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.' - Thoreau
Keri, you always provide magical inspiration :D
Posted by: Charlie on January 30, 2006 11:40 AMBeautiful- thank you for sharing this.
Posted by: Nicole on January 27, 2006 10:34 PMI hear her in my soul, too. She been screaming for my attention lately but I have forgotten how to listen.
Thank you for sharing this with us. Maybe I'll start listening again.
Posted by: Steph on January 27, 2006 04:21 AMThen, perhaps, Lewis Carroll is trying to speak to me.
Posted by: Stephanie on January 26, 2006 08:02 PMHave you read the book Eva Hesse by Lucy R. Lippard?
one of my favorites...
What a great quote! It was just what I needed to hear today.
Look out world! ;-D
Posted by: Azra on January 26, 2006 02:24 PM" Just DO"....................
'Think of your many years of procrastination; how the Gods have repeatedly granted you further periods of grace, of which you have taken no advantage.
It is time now to realise the nature of the universe to which you belong, and of that controlling power whose offspring you are; and to understand that your time has a limit to it. Use it then, to advance your enlightenment; or it shall be gone, and never in your power again.'
Marcus Aurelius
Someone somewhere, in the past and in the present has been and will continue to express these thoughts. So why are we still not allowing ourselves to just DO?
Thankyou as always keri for an inspiring post.
This is food. Thank you. I am getting what I need at every turn...
This alos helped this week:
Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
MARY OLIVER
Dream Work
Hi Keri,
Your site definitely inspires me -- thank-you. In regard to saying "fuck you to the world".... I was wondering today, if I wore the same clothes to work everyday for a week (I would mercifully wash them) how long it would take for someone to notice/comment. I think that we give others far too much credit/power when they probably don't give much of a rat's ass what we do. We need to stop looking for approval outside of ourselves -- we would be much happier for it (I am so desperately trying to learn this myself).
Cheers,
Cali
Posted by: Cali on January 26, 2006 12:15 AMWow great quote (the fuck you quote) and awesome site! I just stumbled upon your site via somebody else's....great stuff! Very inspirational!
Posted by: G-Man on January 25, 2006 11:10 PMi love this quote. i must make some art around these words. thank you for sharing!
Posted by: mati on January 25, 2006 10:48 PMIt seems that she also spelled her last name with an "e" at the end. I googled Eva Hesse and found this http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/hesse_eva.html You have probably seen it already, but I thought I'd throw it out there!
Posted by: melanie on January 25, 2006 07:21 PMI love it! I need to hang this quote up somewhere.
Keri, you are great. I look forward to this blog. It has really touched my life.
"Make your own uncool" ... I'm all for that.
Thanks Keri ... a great way to end this day.
Peace your way.
Posted by: Richard on January 25, 2006 03:51 PM"The Accidental Masterpiece" is a great book!
Posted by: Angela on January 25, 2006 02:38 PMI don't know much about her... but about a year ago I stumbled upon her in an article in O magazine. And I was so inspired I felt a fire light inside me. I'm interested in knowing more about her too. :)
Posted by: penelope on January 25, 2006 10:13 AMyou have NO idea how touching this post was to me. my own mother just died (relatively young) 3 months ago. how do you heal yourself after such a great loss?
the letter was just perfect for my grieving heart. thank you for sharing.
stop spamming Keri you horrible robot person!
Posted by: Marian on January 25, 2006 07:31 AMHi Keri,
I became intrigued about Eva after reading this so I googled her..came up with a very interesting radio interview-on The British bbc radio4 'Womans hour' program. The interview was Tues 10th Dec 2002.
My Step-father (who I grew up with as my father) also died of a brain tumor at quite a young age.
Hope you find some inspiration in this.
Michal
Posted by: Michal on January 25, 2006 06:24 AM