So this week’s activity is to create an Art Care Package (ACP). I decided to create an ACP for my cousin who lives back at my home country, which happens to be Egypt (she lives in Cairo). I couldn’t include too many items as shipping is much more expensive than, for example, a domestic shipment. Nevertheless, some of the items here are very personal to me, and I’ll discuss them as you read along.
The items themselves happen to be a sketch of the Japanese garden from earlier (the cousin is in architecture and likes to draw/paint, so she’ll probably laugh when she sees how bad mine is), a picture of me when I was much younger, a sticky note, a CD containing a message from today’s church sermon, and most importantly, a small clock.
Why did I include these? Well for the picture, I wanted to send them an actual photo of me. While it is one which is not modern, they haven’t seen me in years- since 2005 to be exact. So it’s been awhile. The sticky note has a phrase/tip which asks, “Are you a giver or a taker in a relationship? Be a giver, but so should the other person (reciprocate!)” I find this useful to remember that whether you’re seeking a new or maintaining an existing relationship, it is important that it is mutually beneficial. It’s just a nice little reminder. The CD contains a sermon, as mentioned, of today’s sermon, which focused on how to be more fearless. And last but not least, my grandfather’s pocket clock, which he gave me as a present last time I was in Cairo in 2005. I remember refusing to accept it, telling him it was his and that he should keep it, but he insisted. I regret not spending enough time with him as I should’ve, and the clock reminds me of that.
To more succinctly answer the questions asked, while I’ve never used Snapchat, I an see how this ACP is similar in that it is kind of a different way of saying ‘hello’ and giving them an update on your personal life/feelings. The ACP is different in that it is a more tangible, intimate way of communicating with an individual, especially when compared to a digital platform. I do believe these items have value, at least they do for me, and will continue to have value in the future. Our possessions tend to have history, or in other words, are associated with our memories, and those can be precious to us. The difference between art that is shown to a large amount of people and art that is shown to a smaller amount has more emphasis on the audience. I don’t think a painting which attracts large amounts of attention, like the Mona Lisa, is necessarily ‘less effective’ than my ACP. Nor do I think my ACP is more or less influential; it simply impacts a person differently. Of course, with anything that is given effort and the valuable asset of time, this enhances the meaning of the art or gift. Giving someone you care about, for instance, a present you made by hand is simply more special than just buying something from the store. It has a different kind of quality to it all, one might say. So yes, this is another kind of ‘love.’ And for McDonald’s, their assembly line-style of making food has a much less personal touch than say, a lunch prepared by the chefs at CSULB’s Chartroom. But it’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?
Jonathan Girgis Art 110 