FTR: 5 not unrelated things (Notes 3)

5 not unrelated things

1
Toronto designer Lewis Nicholson asks his students to do what seems not that hard: To bring in five unrelated objects. It is, of course, impossible. The moment I hold an object up to another, I make connections between them. Since learning this exercise, I think of it often when I need cheering up. We (and our objects) are all related.

2
It is tyranny to remove difference. Tyranny as the accepted lie of sameness. Stepping together being a public display of tyranny – as is being punished for being out of line.

Variation might be an antidote to tyranny – not that we all must be variant all the time – but that there is a capacity to shift. To be the same or to move apart or maybe even both.

Perhaps “not tyranny” isn’t a lack of authority but an understanding that authority is fluid and consensual. But this will require some work on everyone’s part.

And this is also about the eyes – the tyrannized should no longer need to see, says the tyrant. So to keep looking. To keep seeing.

3
It was when I started looking. This seems obvious. But of course it was when I started looking. They couldn’t actually keep it going – I mean clearly they were trying and they were close. Maybe closer then I’d ever seen or wanted to. But still he was taller than her. And different hair. Maybe that was it – that their hair refused to participate. Though he had tried. A lot of product. He had tried – but even if he had succeeded in controlling his hair, which he hadn’t – their hair was different. And their nails too. I am fairly certain their pupils dilated at different rates – even when I shone the light on them both.

4
Repetition is hard. Hard because there can be too much with too little attention. I rush towards the new, not noticing that I do the same things over and over. It’s not the repetition that’s a problem – I hardly think I’m alone in that – it’s the not noticing.

Doing something again might be a claim. A claim that it is worth it. That there are things worth doing over.

In digital, I can talk about “lossless” copying. That we are not digital is important and really very good.

Redoing is an opportunity, a chance for change. Nothing can be done twice.

5
I could see it in the lean of his body. He had thought about it four times before – his body had tilted forward as if he were going to get up – but then he didn’t – maybe he thought better of it. Then he saw something – the getting-up was not from the inside, but from something else, maybe a pigeon taking off or the way that gentlemen stooped to pick something off the ground. Whatever it was, it pushed him over the limit and he stood up from the bench. After he took three steps he slowed – as if realizing at that moment that he had stood up. And maybe he couldn’t remember what had inspired such a clear exit from the bench. He couldn’t remember the pigeon or the stooping gentleman – but I think he suspected he had not made the decision alone.