anyone listening?

love classified
Love classified - click for larger flickr view and translation

Today I was at a conference listening to all these hotshot designers, an Indian filmmaker and a "media maverick" talk about their work and worklife. There were a few others, but they were not in any way memorable.

The Indian filmmaker, having just retired and whose film titles fill 3 pages, was the only one who argued for a life of reflection as opposed to a life of consumption, amusement and pleasure. The rest were unapologetic about their celebrity and their ability to command desire. They were, of course, more amusing and quick-witted in their presentation. The Indian filmmaker, dressed in a large denim shirt, his eyeglasses perched atop his balding head, his eyes in a squint and his face in a grimace, was not amusing. In fact, the audience shifted between respect and incredulity at his departure from the vocabulary of "branding", "design" and "creativity" as he declared - "We are all just amusing ourselves to our deaths." No one really paid heed. Everyone just wanted a life of consumption, amusement and pleasure - even unto death.

Comments

儒 said…
that's the easy way out.
3:44 am
儒 said…
(oh, btw, got the cards in the mail. Thanks!)
3:44 am
ampulets said…
Yah, I was not entirely surprised at design's complicity with greed, wealth, hedonism and ego. It's only natural to go where the money tells you and to use that to enjoy more of life. A lot of the best, most ambitious acts require a vast amount of money to accomplish. And the consumer desire significance from this - to be different, famous, more important through consumption . It's just a little depressing how a majority of human "creativity" equals to this! ah, idealistic tuesday.
2:13 am
Anonymous said…
That's a great insight.
Reflection...that's a good word to use.
12:27 pm
Anonymous said…
a life of reflection... shallow or deep?

sometimes I wonder how deep the rabbit hole of thoughts goes for most people...
9:52 pm
ampulets said…
yup, reflection can be that shiny, two-toned reflected image on a shop window, or a long way down a dis-used well!
4:30 pm
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