at least a little valuable

Stephen Nyktas placed. He placed various items in various public contexts and thought about how someone might use the objects. A quarter, a marker, a tennis ball. He wanted these items to be just enticing enough to pick up.

What I found interesting was that I found myself questioning how valuable these objects were. Or, perhaps more appropriately, questioning if people would find them valuable enough to take them.

I think I’d agree that people don’t often pass by a quarter as opposed to a nickel or dime, but I found myself wondering, would people pick up a pen? Would I? How about a tennis ball? Echoes of parental warnings of “where that thing’s been” vs. the value we are socialized to assign to dime-store type items enter the dialogue in this piece.

Conversely, I don’t think the placed items could have functioned appropriately were they much more valuable. A large bill, for instance, or a camera, an ipod. These things carry the meaning of lost items rather than left items.

As the piece does exist, what does the value of these items, specifically in the American throw-away context, mean for the interaction with the unseen future recipient? Is this a sector of the gift economy? Does Stephen function as a benefactor or a careless consumer? (Obviously not as a person, but as a player in this interaction…)

To me, as an extension of the relational elements of this project, the issues of how we think as consumers is very interesting. Stephen notes that the uses of the objects may be “even a little bit exciting to find.” What I’m interested in is what, besides minute excitement, might be felt by passers by. Disgust at the previous owner’s carelessness? Proud indifference? “This passer by has about 20 tennis balls at home, thank you.” Fatalistic luck – maybe they absolutely needed a pen that second to write down a phone number or address. Of course, all of these reactions would be slightly subconscious and fleeting, but it certainly is fun to think about.



Placed: http://stephennyktas.blogspot.com/