Imperfect Sunglass Art

By December 27, 2022 January 30th, 2023 Heather

I like to make things. By ‘Things’ I mean that. Things. I’d like to hope they’re defined as artful things. Maybe it’s glue or nails or paint or paper and sometimes all the above. I like to try new things to make new things from old things.

I read about a Japanese belief called Kintsugi. ‘Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. It is similar to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, an embracing of the flawed or imperfect.

It wasn’t until reflecting on this post, about my newest art venture of repurposing old, donated picture frames into sunglass art, that I’m naturally drawn to embracing the blemishes, too. So they can tell a story.

Some picture frames are just too pretty not to repair, especially when you can have them shine, cracks and all. Some pieces within the suncatching are broken glass from dishes or plates that couldn’t be saved but still carry on. I don’t really have a pattern or system, just fun making them.

Similar to painting over discarded print canvases from the salvation army into my paintings with a little bigfoot included. He, too, is that of the rejected I suppose.

I also like the Marie Kondo theory of giving it joy and parting ways with the items no longer giving you joy. It’s true, I donate so many things with the hope that it finds joy with someone one day just as someone’s donated items become mine to make art live.

Afterall, it’s the things we can’t take with us and leave behind. I’d like to hope that the joy of making art lives on to tell my story too. Thanks for reading,

Heather

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