Think Make Think (and write)

I came across this image on Tumblr, maybe around 2010?

I love it.

It is like a mantra.

In 2011 I moved up to Portland, OR, beginning a Master’s program in Applied Craft and Design, and as fate would have it, the author of this image became my second semester mentor.

Here’s the origin story of the image, pulled from the Portland State Graphic Design 2009

Tumblr;/psugd290.tumblr.com/post/68825658934/think-make-think-by-clifton-burt-2009

“…inspired by a haiku graphic designer John Maeda “quietly posted on his blog…Over the next few months, that haiku often found its way to the forefront of my mind. When our studio acquired the remnants of a discarded arrow sign, it was clear to me that think-make-think was a perfect fit, both in form and function.

I have fond memories of my wife, Kate, Will Bryant and I digging through a Mississippi junk store in an old railroad warehouse on the rumor that there were arrow-sign letters in there… somewhere, if we could find them.” —Clifton Burt

15 years ago, a few like minded artists made an image in their studio in Mississippi, it went out on the internet and pinged me. That’s normal. We come across things all the time that we save and screenshot.

What I find more amazing still, is that Clifton became a formal mentor of mine through my MFA program, and was also on my thesis committee.

His wife, Kate, became an art big sister friendtor person, as well.

And the final piece of the puzzle, is that Will Bryant and I did a serious collaboration that was a key unlock for both of us in grad school.

Wait, let me back up.

Will Bryant also moved to Portland the same year as I did - for a different grad program.

We both were working through our stuff, in our own disciplines, but we both struggled to find traction within the programs. Part of this is regular grad school stuff.

Part of it was the emergence of our digital presences outside of academia - and outside of our physical work.

Perhaps around our physical work?

What is the prepositional relationship of the digital image of the work, to the work itself?

It was the digital documentation and distribution of the work that was making the rounds, over and above/around the physical stuff we were making.

For one critique, I just showed images of how many times my images were reposted on Tumblr. I’m not exactly sure what I was getting at. Perhaps, that this image becomes it’s own object that moves through digital spaces - it has a life of it’s own? I like that. Something like that.

The digital image/object.

Will, also, had a famous critique session, where he hired an improv actor to play him in the critique. He briefed the actor for about 30 minutes prior, the work was already hung up on the wall, and the actor went in and acted as Will.

Art school. Gotta love it.

I see this as a twin impulse.

I was removing myself from the equation, so was Will.

The question may have been at the time - Does authorship exist even if the author is not present or known?

Before our final semester of grad school, Will and I did a collaboration that, for me, was transformational.

We made a bunch of fun objects together - maybe about 50. (I will talk about this project more thoroughly at another time).

And those pieces are out there in the world, some of them in our own homes, in our kids’ rooms.

I’ve seen these objects pop up on Instagram, and when I visit the homes of my friends.

But the digital distribution of images of our work has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

This reminds me of one of my other favorite mantras from Charles Eames - that is, “Eventually everything connects, it is the quality of the connections that is the key to quality…”

So much of my work goes out into the world via internet - and I’m so happy that it can connect with folks over time and space.

That I can, essentially, pull a record album off the shelf, and play something for you.

That’s a good segway. (wow, I can’t use that word without thinking about segway scooters. Now you can’t either.)

A final word on blogging for today.

I think about it like I’m DJing. There is so much good stuff out there to listen to.

Come on in, sit in a comfy chair.

Listen to this. Consider this.

Here’s a few extra comments on that. Etc…

You’re gonna like what you like and not like what you do not like.

Thank you for being here and now.

Peace, Love, Cactus.