This week, I revisited where I last left off in Stuart Semple's book, Make Art or Die Trying. The next exercise instructed me to take an ordinary household object and move it somewhere it doesn’t belong, observing how the new context changes its meaning. I chose a teaspoon for this experiment.
Initially, I brainstormed places to move my little spoon, hoping for an out-of-the-ordinary adventure. Nothing seemed interesting enough. So, I carried the spoon in my purse all week, waiting for inspiration to strike. The usual places I visited – restaurants, coffee shops, my office – didn’t feel foreign enough for the spoon’s journey.
Eventually, I turned to the spaces around my house and found more success. Placing the spoon in the bathroom, the creepy shared stairwell in our old apartment building, and on the trash can revealed intriguing contrasts.
Normally, a spoon might signify delight and deliciousness, its curved shape delivering ice cream, cereal, or sneaky spoonfuls of peanut butter. But in these new settings, the spoon took on a different meaning. In the spider-web-ridden stairwell with eerie lights, the spoon felt dirty and mysterious – why was it there? The setting suggested a story waiting to be told.
Perched inside a roll of toilet paper on the back of the porcelain throne, the spoon’s resemblance to kitchen silverware cups contrasted with the bathroom setting, making it seem like it had unpleasant uses. Finally, on the trash barrel, the spoon gleamed against the gritty and worn surface, and in this context, it became trash itself.
This simple exercise beautifully illustrated how context can change an object's meaning. As artists, we can leverage this concept to communicate with our viewers in unique ways. Now, I’m off to disinfect my spoon and prepare for the next exercise, which involves braving the blazing hot Tucson weather. Wish me luck! Now, I’m off to disinfect my spoon and prepare for the next exercise which requires me to spend time outside in the blazing hot Tucson weather. Wish me luck!
