Last summer, I made a few attempts to mow the lawn at different grass lengths to explore creating interesting visual patterns. My wife gave her approval on the condition that I not hurt the lawn. That condition is very difficult to define, so I took an expansive and optimistic view of its meaning.
The result of my experiments? Creating art from one’s lawn mowing activities is way harder than it sounds. You may judge the enterprise as frivolous or foolish, but my experience of living in the Chicago suburbs for the past 15 years has convinced me that the arts are needed more than ever in the culturally-barren bougie housing tracts where most Americans live these days.
My idea: commission artists to mow my lawn. Summer is short in the Midwest. So we are talking 3-5 monthly lawn art events a summer. I propose 3 lawn art exhibitions a summer. There will be a formal opening with a talk by the artist and a BBQ reception with food and drink. Then my lawn will be available for art and lawn fans to view on the successive three Saturdays that month.
I think the idea has legs. We must incorporate our creativity visions into our everyday lives. Billions of us are subjected to the visions of a handful of political actors trying to impose their creative visions on all of us through governmental and corporate entities. This has to stop. Wouldn’t it be better if Vladimir Putin, instead of invading Ukraine, had focused on wearing the most innovative, creative, and talked about range of shoes every publicly worn by a head of state? Here in the United States, we should consider politicians of both political parties to have their policies tattooed on their bodies, or, at the least, displayed on special billboard-type clothing that they are required to wear even in retirement.
We think our civilization is so impressive and advanced. As long as I can’t change the color of my shirt or pants from my phone, I politely disagree.