I just read an article in NY magazine about how our ADD culture/lifestyle is increasing productivity while decreasing focus (to be totally honest, I only got the gist of this article because I was listening to my ipod and half-watching the movie on the plane at the same time). It made me think of my comment to Jojo about how keeping blog posts simple and focused, something I - and we, as Americans- turns out its a cultural thing, who knew! - have a really hard time with lately. One need only step inside the MOMA, or a downtown theater — anyone see Architecting? - or inside the city’s numerous “fusion” restaurants with ridiculously sprawling menus to experience the confluence of ideas, tastes, influences and cultures Americans try to appease, cater to and acknowledge in our art.Its almost as if we are afraid to ‘leave stuff out’ - like an artistic fact-checker will cite us for our myopia.

Simplicty/singlemindedness can be golden. Sophie Calle ate/photographed one color of food per day of the week (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSqR72nd6kw/R_xGTXlJl2I/AAAAAAAAADQ/aTzomfH7eic/s400/SophieCalle.jpg) - an very simple idea, but lovingly done- and because her idea was so clear, we are free to read into it all sorts of ways: is it about “synthetic” versus natural? About her mood/tastes changing everyday? About the food of the 1950’s? The simplicity of her idea leaves US free to dream.

Many ideas are important, but focused, simple ideas are the best.

-m

ps: on the outside of the palais de tokyo (best. museum. ever.) : “The Palais de Tokyo is dedicated to the exploration of art which avoids all wistful attempts at a single interpretation.”

Tags: ADD, artparty, jojo, mary, simplicity, singlemindedness, sophie calle

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