T.I.G.R.O. (THINGS I GET RID OF)
TIGRO is an on going project that explores the concept of decluttering and of the surplus of material possessions we accumulate over time. The project also aims to reflect on the compulsive behavior that compels us to photograph and post on social media what we own as a status symbol.
The project takes a unique approach to decluttering by representing objects that are no longer a part of the artist's life. In a ritualistic manner, every object that I no longer need is immortalized through a drawing before being thrown away, sold, or handed down. This process allows me to pay homage to these objects and capture their essence before letting them go.
TIGRO stems from the observation of the attitude towards things of the different members of my family, including myself. Unlike a photograph, the drawing medium serves as a filter and interpretation, freezing an ideal view of the object as one perceives and remembers it, instead how it actually is.
This process raises several questions. Does the representation of an object take on the same emotional characteristics as the object itself? Does the drawing of an object becomes an object itself ? Will this new object, thin, flat, and drawn on paper, occupy the same emotional space in our minds as the real object?
By immortalizing the objects through drawings, the artist challenges us to view the things we own in a different light, to see them not just as objects but as entities that hold emotional significance. The project encourages us to reflect on our relationship with material possessions and consider the value they hold in our lives. This investigation also tackles the broader and long-standing question of objectivity in drawing and still life.
But what is the value of representation here? Using more or less detail, using color or black and white, a more realistic drawing or an almost abstract spot of color. The choice depends on which aspect of the object I want to bring out and remember: is it the color? Is it the shape? Is it the texture? And in what form should I represent the softness or hardness, the smoothness of a surface or the warmth I felt wearing it?
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Mark Doty, Still Life with Oysters and Lemon: On Objects and Intimacy, Beacon Press, 2001
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“The True Cost” by Andrew Morgan
“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”
“The Minimalists: Less Is Now” by Matt D’Avella
The New Yorker: A guide to get rid of almost everything
Francesca Pistone
Pietro Ortoleva