My third post about Stefan Sagmeister in a row. I might be a little obsessed.
Six Things: Sagmeister & Walsh is an exhibition at the Jewish Museum running now until August 4th and I implore everyone in New York to go. It’s short and sweet so it’s not like you’d have commit a whole day to it (the whole exhibition is just one room in the museum). I went with Katie and my friend Nataliya who is in town for the week. It’s an extension of the The Happy Show art exhibition that is traveling around and the The Happy Film their upcoming documentary.
“In five compelling short videos and a sound-activated sculpture, Gameister & Walsh examines six things culled from Sagmeister’s diary that he believes hae increased his personal happiness:
- If I don’t ask, I won’t get
- Keeping a diary supports personal development
- Be more flexible
- It’s pretty much impossible to please everyone
- Now is better
- Feel others feel”
The videos all had very creative presentations of the phrases with built typography. Think sugar cubes and bamboo. I loved it for the visual impact and the thoughtful premiss. It was personal, but I think everyone who came could take something away from it. Again, it makes me think about what are the things that bring me the most happiness and what I can do to pursue and foster that happiness in other parts of my life. Not that it was a self-help exhibit, it wasn’t, but I can’t help thinking about what would make me most happy in my work when I see a graphic designer who gets to do things like this in his work.
I really believe there is something to stubbornly pursuing the things you love the way you want to do it. Sagmeister, of course admits the need to being more flexible in had every day interactions, but I admire the way he is inflexible in his career. I feel strongly that you have to believe in your own self-worth in order for other people to see it too.
Get down with some art, yo.