This is not a trick question but how big is your memory bank?
Seriously, don’t look at your mobile phone or one of those wired devices. What I am really asking you is — how much can you remember?
Well, I always prided myself for having photographic memory but I think the truth is far from it.
Take this amazing book by Hiroshi Sugimoto for instance.
Until a few days ago, I was 100% sure that this book was about the Pulitzer Foundation building by Tadao Ando in St Louis, Missouri. In fact I was so sure I told quite a few people.
A little detour — I had a copy of JOE before but it was eaten by termites. It has taken me close to a decade to find a replacement copy.
Until I received the new copy weeks ago, I still thought JOE was about Ando’s architecture.
No doubt Sugimoto was indeed invited to Pulitzer with the possibility of photographing the new building in 2003.
The idea and arrangement seemed perfect — an internationally renowned Japanese photographer based in the USA photographing a new building in the USA designed by an internationally renowned Japanese architect. How could you possibly go wrong with such a combo?
Could anyone else have pulled this off? Not very likely. Sugimoto is Sugimoto, he is good and good people usually get their way.
Except Sugimoto was more enthralled by the Richard Serra snakey site specific sculpture on the ground called JOE.
JOE, apparently, refers to Joe, short for Joseph Pulitzer.
Lo and behold, the maestro got his way and the result — JOE, the book.
Technically he did complete his ‘assignment’ according to specs. JOE is in the compound designed by Ando. I don’t know how Ando feels about this. Anyone know?
Could anyone else have pulled this off? Not very likely.
Can anyone really imagine telling Sugimoto “We only want you to focus on this and that”?
Sugimoto is Sugimoto, he is good and good people usually get their way.
After all, this is the artist who proposed this original thought when introducing (not justifying) his blurry architecture images — before an architect designs a building, he must have a dream and personal vision of what the end product must/should/can look like. And that dream, until the actual realisation, is just a blur.
Pompous and pretentious? Some may argue that but it is good bullxxxx if at all. I happen to think it is beautifully put.
Now what does Sugimoto’s book have to do with my memory?
It is still a blur but I guess I can afford to exaggerate a little and think of it as my imagination being stretched.
If this doesn’t work, I am just going to say that I was so mesmerised by Sugimoto’s artistry that I am no longer coherent.
Worst case scenario — I remember the wrong building but I didn’t forget the photographer
Now who dares to dispute that?
