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All I Possess

allipossess.com

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Re: All I Possess

#21

Post by ycmbntrthrwaway »

NickBusey wrote: post #16

I was happy to see cleaning supplies, tools, and cooking gadgets. Every time someone posts one of those 'I only own 12 things' posts, that's the first thing I think about/look for. Oh, you just spilled a drink? Better call a cleaning lady because you don't even own paper towels. Time to a cook a meal? Nope, can't. Better just eat out instead. Something is broken? No duct tape, can't go over my 12 item limit, throw ou…

> It all seems so impractical while also oozing of privilege. Must be nice to not have to repair anything or ever cook for yourself.

Actually eating at cafeteria is what least wealthy people, e.g. students, do. Buying food cooked in batch and sharing instruments is cheaper than maintaining your own kitchen and possessions.

Re: All I Possess

#22

Post by lucideer »

waiseristy wrote: post #20

I don't understand this style of, minimalism? Isn't the point to remove the power your possessions have over you? Not obsess over minifying the amount of possessions you own?

I think you're jumping to the conclusion that that's the point. Certainly many see removing the power possessions have over us as a positive, but art around this subject could be exploring it from different angles, and I don't see that stated anywhere in this installation. It could well be a celebration of consumerism[1], or just an exploration of obsession over possession.

[1] Worth noting, the installation is sponsored by shopify

Re: All I Possess

#23

Post by Miner49er »

ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #21
NickBusey wrote: post #16

I was happy to see cleaning supplies, tools, and cooking gadgets. Every time someone posts one of those 'I only own 12 things' posts, that's the first thing I think about/look for. Oh, you just spilled a drink? Better call a cleaning lady because you don't even own paper towels. Time to a cook a meal? Nope, can't. Better just eat out instead. Something is broken? No duct tape, can't go over my 12 item limit, throw ou…

> It all seems so impractical while also oozing of privilege. Must be nice to not have to repair anything or ever cook for yourself. Actually eating at cafeteria is what least wealthy people, e.g. students, do. Buying food cooked in batch and sharing instruments is cheaper than maintaining your own kitchen and possessions.

I don't think that's true at all. University cafeteria's are very expensive in my experience (at least in the U.S.).

Re: All I Possess

#24

Post by waiseristy »

lucideer wrote: post #22
waiseristy wrote: post #20

I don't understand this style of, minimalism? Isn't the point to remove the power your possessions have over you? Not obsess over minifying the amount of possessions you own?

I think you're jumping to the conclusion that that's the point. Certainly many see removing the power possessions have over us as a positive, but art around this subject could be exploring it from different angles, and I don't see that stated anywhere in this installation. It could well be a celebration of consumerism[1], or just an exploration of obsession over possession. [1] Worth noting, the installation is spons…

That's a fair read of the piece, I think I'm trying to subconsciously shoehorn my dislike of minimalism into my interpretation.

Re: All I Possess

#25

Post by ycmbntrthrwaway »

Miner49er wrote: post #23
ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It all seems so impractical while also oozing of privilege. Must be nice to not have to repair anything or ever cook for yourself. Actually eating at cafeteria is what least wealthy people, e.g. students, do. Buying food cooked in batch and sharing instruments is cheaper than maintaining your own kitchen and possessions.

I don't think that's true at all. University cafeteria's are very expensive in my experience (at least in the U.S.).

The price there just reflects how much students are ready to pay. Cooking is actually cheaper when done en masse. Just look at how poor countries and army handles it.

Re: All I Possess

#26

Post by cmyr »

Before taking a look at this I would encourage anyone to look into Michael Landy's Break Down[0][1][2], where the artist first cataloged and then destroyed everything he owned (except for a pair of overalls) including his vintage saab and all of his correspondence.

That work at least has the weight of a real gesture. The linked work seems (generously) fairly banal by comparison.

[0] https://www.artangel.org.uk/project/break-down/

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_Down_(Landy_artwork)

[2] http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160713-michael-landy-the-...

Re: All I Possess

#28

Post by icebraining »

ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #25
Miner49er wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that's true at all. University cafeteria's are very expensive in my experience (at least in the U.S.).

The price there just reflects how much students are ready to pay. Cooking is actually cheaper when done en masse. Just look at how poor countries and army handles it.

How do poor countries handle it?

Re: All I Possess

#29

Post by Kluny »

I'm interested in the four identical toques in different colors. Minimalism certainly doesn't seem to be the goal - why are there four? Is it a collection of designs that have earned their love? Are they really nice toques? Can we infer something about the owner's gender (probably bald, probably male)? Or their location (far north?)

How committed to hipsterism is this guy? The "Raw denim jeans" - 4 pairs in varying stages of fadedness, but all of them definitely raw denim. Is it the "Little Prince" theory of how your possessions own you as much as you own them ? Is it a statement that your essence is a gestalt of all the things you own? There's a collection of wrenches and allen keys, as well as pots of fountain pen ink. "Hipster" isn't a precise enough term. How hard are you guys relating to this individual, purely through the stuff he's got? You can see that he lives in an apartment in a cool city, thinks of himself as practical as well as aesthete, probably thinks he's a rugged individualist too, but he's put a lot of effort into fitting in with a very specific demographic.

I don't know. I guess I spent enough time thinking about it that's served it's purpose as art.

Re: All I Possess

#30

Post by amelius »

It would be nice to see the absolute minimum amount of stuff one would need to survive in the modern world (reasonably). This seems like a loose upper-bound.
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