Distracting visual clutter not only affects horizontal surfaces but also vertical ones. But should Art be considered in the process of letting go?
"You've inspired me to another level of desire for a simple living. However, I do enjoy art [...] There are always some that are in my closet, as I don't have the space to hang them all, awaiting their turn to be brought out" wrote one reader.
When recently discussing the subject of living simply with mostly bare walls, a friend told me that he was intrigued and he too argued: "One needs some visual pleasure (beauty) in the home, don't you think?".
I understand the attachment to Art, as I too used to fill my walls with it. I hung on to Art for reasons such as: A home has to have Art, Art shows that I am educated, Art proves that I am an artist. Today, I no longer consider these reasons valid.
As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we now only display a handful of non-functional pieces: the occasional glass of flowers or foraged plants, the painting on our largest wall, the found animal skull in the playroom (Max enjoys science and biology) and a couple of pieces in our shared office/studio. But we're not forever-attached to any of them. I find that visual beauty abounds around us and does not need to be canvas-bound. Beauty "is in the eye of the beholder" and can be found everywhere and anywhere: In the yellow bird outside of my window, in the light filtering through my chihuahua's ears, in the new shoots sprouting from my living wall, in my kids smiles, and in simple functional items in the home.
Furthermore, I have come to realize that:
- Showing less allows each individual piece to breathe and allows the viewer to fully emerge himself into it, without the distraction of neighboring pieces. In quantity, the individuality of each piece gets in part lost to "the competition" (the ones next to it) on a wall. But when a piece is isolated, it is "put on a pedestal" and given every opportunity to shine, inspire, and amaze.
- Overtime, many pieces lose their appeal. After the initial excitement, they lose their visual novelty and get forgotten (you'll walk by them, and won't notice them anymore): Sometimes due to a switch in decorating style or frame, sometimes due to relocating (to a darker corner for example), sometimes due to a fading trend: Remember when the velvet paintings were cool? Pieces (along with their frames) as such can however interest collectors/museums or be reused by artists and made into "new".
- Walls with windows, do not need art: A window can be a frame displaying beautiful nature, a living piece of art.
- The lighter the load, the easier the move. Moving Art is no easy task.
- A functional item can often fill or balance an "empty" area: Relocating a live plant, a chair or a lamp will often do the trick.
- Supporting local artists is an honorable reason to collect, supporting ZeroWaste artists is even better, when purchasing Art, look for Art that is 100% compostable or made from 100% recycled material.
We have not missed any of the "beautiful" pieces that we used to own and have sold. We now rather find "beauty" in living simply.
I don't expect many of you to agree with me here... What do you think: Shouldn't Art be considered in the process of "forming better shopping habits, sharing with others, or making Zero Waste manageable" (as mentioned in this previous post)?