Collecting something similar through time in the formative realm
For the thematic seminar COMPLICATING THE SUBJECT by Res. Portrait about Sam Koopman.
Starting point:
What happens when a story you hear, resonates with something of your own life and your point of focus becomes the similarity? You start to to collect the history of somebody else and the things they pick up on their journey. But at some point you add elements of your own life to actually tell something of yourself. As artists we are telling our point of view through somebody else, but what happens when the lines between subject and our own experiences mix and get blurry? What are the ethics when you tell your story through the familiar aspects of the life of your subject?
Story:
When we go to dark places when life disapoints us, we start to gather. Gather new inspirations. Quotes. Insights. Songs.
Becoming an adolescent never goes without skars. Skars we turn into marks to let us remember what counts. Through a journey we collect attributes and souvenirs that recount the adventures we've taken. The highs and lows we encountered. When we are too strict on ourselves or expect too much a simple symbol or mark of life experience can guide us again.