#1 01 Odette Graskie | The beginning of a beginning
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What I am left with after my conversation with artist Odette Graskie.
I believe that artist make something out of Nothing.
The German philosopher Heidegger explains in his essay 'The Origin of the Work of Art' that he believes we can understand our society when we look at the work of artists. I wonder what I can discover about our society if I have a conversation based on shared experiences with South African artist Odette Graskie. We had a conversation about two poetry books: "New names for lost things" by Pakistani poet and visual artist Noor Unnahar and "Let the world have you" by American poet Mikko Harvey".
We also talked about the shared experience of a visit to the Jack Ginsburg centre for Book Arts at Wits University in Johannesburg. Our conversation took place in my studio room in Victoria Yards in Johannesburg. I am fascinated not by what is lost in translation, but by what remains of a conversation. For me in order to be able to discover what remains I need to put time between the actual conversation and the writing of the text. This recording therefore, is not a literal transcript of our conversation, but the recording of a text written weeks after our actual conversation. What remained with me for example of the conversation with Odette Graskie were: a shared regret about the state of libraries in Johannesburg, new dream libraries, blueberries, rabbits, ribbons on boxes and owls.
I believe that artist make something out of Nothing.
The German philosopher Heidegger explains in his essay 'The Origin of the Work of Art' that he believes we can understand our society when we look at the work of artists. I wonder what I can discover about our society if I have a conversation based on shared experiences with South African artist Odette Graskie. We had a conversation about two poetry books: "New names for lost things" by Pakistani poet and visual artist Noor Unnahar and "Let the world have you" by American poet Mikko Harvey".
We also talked about the shared experience of a visit to the Jack Ginsburg centre for Book Arts at Wits University in Johannesburg. Our conversation took place in my studio room in Victoria Yards in Johannesburg. I am fascinated not by what is lost in translation, but by what remains of a conversation. For me in order to be able to discover what remains I need to put time between the actual conversation and the writing of the text. This recording therefore, is not a literal transcript of our conversation, but the recording of a text written weeks after our actual conversation. What remained with me for example of the conversation with Odette Graskie were: a shared regret about the state of libraries in Johannesburg, new dream libraries, blueberries, rabbits, ribbons on boxes and owls.
