MIND (THE) WORK: August 2010

Last month I initiated this personal project.
It is a very simple idea, based on my personal human curiosity, to know and share what other people (especially strangers) think about important core philosophical questions in life.

To take portrait shoots of 100 people ( preferentially strangers or people I dont know well) who irreverently catch my attention - and ask them to answer truthfully two questions:

1) - what is the most important thing in life (?)
2) - what is the least important thing in life (?)

There is no time limit to this project - it could take me a week or 5 years to complete it- I am not in a hurry.
Apart from the human interest context ( what people value more or less these days) - there is another less obvious side to this project - one that is very personal, and very fascinating - like in all photography work I do - I always stand, observe and self question the whys of my choices - and so, irresistibly fascinating will be at the conclusion of this project to look back and reflect on the chosen 100 people I have instinctely chose to photograph: why did I chose them and what does that say about me and my current journey ( human mirroring)? is the creative process always a self centered/ healing one - even when we look for outside of us subjects?

On a small note, I have deliberately chosen to not do disclose professional backgrounds and occupations of all the people who have collaborated in this project - being the reason I wanted to avoid at all costs, work/ persona identification or influence - I really just want to look and present everyone as simply people, personas, human beings - returning to the greatest forgotten asset of all we own, our individuality, our stories, our beliefs, likes and dislikes as simple human beings.

I look forward and thank you so very much to all the people who generously agreed to participate in this project.

(Below the first people photographed/interviewed - I will keep on adding to this post - so keep an eye)

Johann (22 yrs - Berlin/ Germany)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" Family. "

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" Security ( job security, rituals, routine, etc ). "

Yukio (38 yrs - JP)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... The most important thing in my life, LOVE anybody ( everybody) or accept everything, and live my LIFE..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... The least important thing in my life, so "Nothing" is the least important ( but I dont like the word "Formalism" ) - I am free from everything.

Abi (37 yrs - UK - currently in USA)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... Peace..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... pointless material items ... "

Angela Pham (22 yrs - USA - California)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... the most important thing in life, personally, tied between transcendental food moments ( the moment a piece of chocolate melts in my mouth ) AND creating meaning trough following "passions" ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... the least important thing is comparing yourself to others. Its counter productive... "

Julie (47 yrs - USA)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ...right off the top of my head - i can say already i have trouble trying to isolate just ONE THING

but...
here goes.....

i suppose...
i feel that the most important thing in life....
assuming that one has basic shelter and food /sustenance...
i would say
LOVE
love in the sense of being able to give and receive honest and authentic caring and nurture....honest and authentic kindness and compassion.... and share a true connection.... Love and Connection...

along with this
i would say that of equal importance is an individuals ability to have willingness and awareness and humility...clarity and openness...being present in the here and now....... "

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... i dunno....

costume jewelry ?
material possessions ?
fancy wardrobes...?
or
acrylic fingernails ? ... "

Jana (35 yrs - Germany)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

(still waiting for Jana to answer)

2) What is the least important thing in life?

(still waiting for Jana to answer)

Matt (37 yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" Expression."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" Other peoples impression of you. "

Palle (22 yrs - Sweden)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" The most important thing in life is love."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" The least important thing in life is money. "

Peter (40yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" right now is sleep"

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" right now is dogs. "

Jeremy (37yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" My wife."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" My mother. " ( answer 1)

3) What is the least important thing in life :

" Possessions. " ( answer 2)

Astrid (26yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... freedom, being able to travel, freedom ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... X-Factor..."

Antonio (18yrs - Spain)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... the most important thing in life to me is the concept of being alive ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... the least important thing in life to me is what people think of me (they are cockroaches)..."

Felipe (16yrs - USA/ Spain)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... happiness, acknowledgment ..." (but before in class he mentioned money (?))

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... money..."

Yao (18yrs - China)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... freedom to do whatever I like (thats why I am here in England) ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... what I cannot before..."

Nicola (18yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... the most important thing in my life to me is freedom - in work, mind and life ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... the least important thing is prejudice. Why bother..."

Samar (18yrs - Pakistan)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... my family ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... competition..."

Belinda (32 yrs - Australia)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... joy ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... opinions..."

Sunny Park (20yrs - Korea)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... people I love ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... obcession..."

(original writing in Korean to post later)

Chris (30yrs - UK)

1) What is the most important thing in life?

" ... people ..."

2) What is the least important thing in life?

" ... money..."

Just a hint - flower percussion is a performance butoh based video installation I am creating in collaboration with flower artist Jana.

The piece supports itself on a powerful space making attitude, involving a string slashed industrial space, pierced flowers, a female butoh body and a evocative masculine percurssion sound ( as a performance highlight).

We are at the stage of pulling the hair out, to get it all done under a non existence personal buget ( God, how I abs. hate the fact you dont seem to be able to do anything decent these days without money - buying things, buying peoples time, etc...)

Another one who will give me labour pain, but so worth it in the end:

Slim build performer wanted

Black drum set wanted

Video Artist wanted

I am not these one letting go.

Avant and a deadline to shoot 18th September.