DANCE WITH B

SLAKKENPOEP IS HET ANTWOORD

 foto: installation by ONTWERPDUO

A FEW DAYS AGO BETTY HAD THE PLEASURE TO VISIT THE DUTCH DESIGN'S WEEK IN EINDHOVEN. 

IT WAS A GREATLY INSPIRING EXPERIENCE, AS SHE LOVES TO BE IN FIRST-HAND TOUCH WITH OBJECTS AND IMAGES AND SHAPES WHICH EXPRESS OTHER PEOPLE'S PASSION, VISION AND CRAFT. 

SHE VERY MUCH ENJOYED VISITING THE WORKSHOPS OF YOUNG RECYCLE-ARTISTS WHO WERE INVENTIVE ENOUGH TO USE AN OLD SCREWED-UP FAX MACHINE AS A WAY TO ETCH ON THERMIC PAPER, JUST AS MUCH AS SHE ENJOYED THE MORE POSH END OF THE FESTIVAL, LIKE FOR INSTANCE CHAIR FASHION. 

YES, CLOTHES FOR CHAIRS.

REAL GREAT.

BUT SHE WOULD NOT MENTION ANY OF IT HERE, IF IT WASN'T FOR SLAKKENPOEP.

YES, NO OBJECT, NO MATERIAL, NO THING SHE HAS SEEN IN THE PAST MANY YEARS AT LEAST HAS FLABBERBLASTED HER AS MUCH AS THIS, AND SHE DOES TRULY BELIEVE THAT SLAKKENPOEP IS THE ANSWER.

IMAGINE THIS. 

LET'S ASSUME YOU HAVE A SNAIL ON YOUR DESK AND THIS SNAIL HAPPENS TO STROLL OVER A BIT OF COLORED PAPER THAT LIES THERE AND SHE (HE?) LUNCHES ON IT AND THEN POOPS IT OUT A BIT FURTHER DOWN HER TRAIL AND YOU NOTICE THAT THE SHIT HAS PRESERVED EXACTLY THE SAME COLOR OF THE EATEN PAPER. 

THAT IS, IF THE PAPER WAS COBALT-BLUE, THE LITTLE CURLY TURD LEFT AMONG YOUR PENCILS IS OF AN IDENTICAL SHADE OF BLUE, AND THE SAME GOES FOR CRASH-PINK, FERRARI-RED AND ALL OTHER COLORS YOU CAN THINK OF.

WELL, IF YOU WENT AWAY FOR A WEEKEND AND WHEN YOU COME BACK YOU'D FIND YOUR DESK AND ALL AROUND DOTTED WITH THESE LITTLE CONFETTI-LIKE SNAIL FECES, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?  

BECAUSE, YOU SEE, BETTY WOULD FIRST OF ALL BE APPALLED TO SEE HER SACRED DESK HAS BECOME A SNAIL-CLOACA, SHE WOULD BE FURIOUS, SHE WOULD IMMEDIATELY GET RID OF BOTH EXCREMENT AND SNAILS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR COLOR, AND MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. IT'S OBVIOUS.

BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE.

ONE PERSON, ONE POWERFULLY CREATIVE THINKER SAW THE COLORED SNAIL SHIT AND, INSTEAD OF BEING DISGUSTED OR WANTING TO CLEAN IT UP, SHE THOUGHT IT COULD BE A PERFECT MATERIAL TO MAKE LINOLEUM WITH.

WHAT!!?

YES. SNAILSHIT LINOLEUM.

AND IT LOOKS VERY CUTE TOO.

NOW, IN GENERAL, BETTY  IS NOT TOO FOND OF SYNTHETIC MATERIALS, AND AMONG THOSE SHE HAS TO CONFESS THAT LINOLEUM IS ONE OF HER LEAST FAVORITE. 

BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT, BECAUSE WHAT REALLY CAUGHT HER HEART IN SLAKKENPOEP, IS THE IMMENSE OPENNESS AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT THAT GENERATED IT. 

IT TAKES GUTS AND GREAT DISCIPLINE TO KEEP YOUR MIND SO CLEAN OF PREJUDICE AS TO SEE A CHANCE FOR CREATION EVEN IN THE FECES OF A MOLLUSK, FOR HOW COLORFUL THEY MAY BE.

AND IF EACH ONE OF US WOULD BE ABLE TO APPROACH OUR ENVIRONMENT WITH SUCH CURIOSITY AND BOUNDLESS IMAGINATION, THIS WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD.

SO, ALTHOUGH SHE WOULD PROBABLY NEVER COVER HER BATHROOM SINK IN IT, BETTY BOWS AT THE VISION, THE COURAGE AND AT THE CREATIVE FRESHNESS OF LIESKE SCHREUDER, THE INVENTOR OF SLAKKENPOEP.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW IT LOOKS, CLICK HERE:   Slakkenpoep webpage 

CHAPEU!

AND FLY OUT

RELOAD

STOP! WHAT HAPPENED!?

I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, IT WAS NOT LIKE THIS.

NO, IT WASN'T. 

SO WHAT?

IF THERE'S ONE THING BETTY SEEMS TO BE DEEPLY ADDICTED TO, THAT IS CHANGE.

ADDICTED, BECAUSE IT'S NEVER WITHOUT ACHING.

COME NOW, FORGET.

LET'S GO SOMEWHERE NEW, TRY SOMETHING ELSE?

AS IF YOU WERE TO TAKE SNAPSHOTS, LIKE NOTES, OF WHAT YOU FEEL.

FOR YOURSELF, AND ALL THOSE WHO MIGHT CARE. YOU CAN.

BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT. 

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

THE BACKDROP HAS SHIFTED, THE NEW ONE IS SO BRIGHT.

THE AUDIENCE IS SAT, THEY WIGGLE IN THEIR CHAIRS.

YOUR FINGERS ARE TWISTED AND WHITE FROM THE STRAIN.

THE STAGE IS ALL LIT, JUST WAITING FOR YOU, AND YOU CAN'T TURN AWAY.

NOT BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, BUT BECAUSE YOU WON'T.

SO SLIDE THE FIRST STEP ON THOSE PLANKS AND TUNE FINALLY IN.

JUMP ON THAT FLOW AND RIDE THE LIGHTS OF YOUR MODEST STAGE.

BUT FIRST STOP, RELOAD, ERASE AND START ONCE MORE.

THERE WILL BE NO OTHER NOW LIKE THIS ONE AGAIN.
 

BREATHE.