LETTING GO/HOLDING BACK
“Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” — Epicurus
Americans have a reputation for living beyond their means and gathering objects that signify their socio-economic accomplishments. The idea of decluttering or reducing ourpossessions to what we consider essentials reach as far back as Epicurus (341-270 BC) and as recently as Marie Kondo’s “The Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Economic uncertainty and the increasing use of technology have created a desire to return to simple living. The roots of this idea are far-reaching and those who embrace uncomplicated surroundings do so for many reasons such as personal, spiritual, political and environmental.
As I looked around my home of over forty years, I realized that I had accumulated large amounts of objects and memories: toys, baby clothes, old medicine bottles, paint cans, unused fabrics, and clothing now considered vintage. My closets and garage overflowed with objects even though donating was part of my annual routine.
So I changed my routine by Letting Go. Prior to donating or discarding unwanted objects, I photographed them, a process that allowed me to “keep” the memory of each item. Photographing the objects transformed a mundane task into an important one. Each item became a still life—evidence of the home I built and the life lived within its walls (marriage, children, illness and survival, career and retirement). These photographs provided the necessary closure, allowing me to let go of the objects.
Ultimately, these images ask several basic questions: What do the objects we cling to say about us? Does one ever regret letting go of their posessions?
