STUFF: Ten Things Ross Bleckner Owns and Loves

by Ross Bleckner on May 16, 2013 STUFF

[Editor’s note: Are you having trouble understanding artists through their art? Understand them through their STUFF instead. Art history never elucidates the importance of the artist’s dual role as creator and person who owns STUFF, even though STUFF is important: it’s what accumulates when you make decisions. Owning someone’s STUFF helps you channel their spirit and personal brand. This is our tribute to STUFF. From books, to art works, to phony iPads, these lists will contain both the common and the strange. This week we bring you a list from legendary New York artist Ross Bleckner!]

I own stuff, but own and LOVE is another story. Owning is for things, loving is about people (regardless of what the constitution says). Personally I like un-owning things. Anyone who owns and LOVES ten things is too materialistic and needs to give up like 8 of them—even books! Once I’ve read them I usually push them forward…I’m not really a collector. Sadly if everyone did what I do, artists would be out of luck! —Ross Bleckner

1

My Wirehaired Dachshund Winston

…with that said I know that dogs aren’t “things” but technically I guess I own my dog. I paid $800 for him and have a receipt to prove it. I believe in animal rights, of course, but my wirehaired dachshund named Winston is the best investment I’ve ever made.

2

Winston’s Cashmere Ralph Lauren Blanket

I own a small black cashmere blanket with a white grid pattern by Ralph Lauren. Its actually more Winston’s to sleep on. I know he loves it, but again, technically I’m the owner.

3

Bounty Paper Towels


I just couldn’t get any work done with out a plentiful supply of bounty” target=”_blank”>Bounty. It can’t have any decorations on it.

4

Victor Almazora Painting

A little painting maybe 9″ x 12″ painted by Victor Alzamora. It’s beautiful; semi-abstract and landscape-y in dark ochres and alizarin, and it’s painted very casually but carefully. I like looking at it every day. He died at 29 in 1989 of a (congenital) heart condition. He was Moira Dryer’s husband, and she died a few years later at 32 of breast cancer.

5

Painting by Moira Dryer

I own a painting of hers as well, that I also love.

6

Buddha Statue

My little Buddha statue handmade from clay by a 90-year-old monastic at the Zen Mountain Monastery in upstate New York.

7

Great Lives of the Century

I like to read the book “Great Lives of the Century”, a compilation of obituaries from the 20th century that appeared in The New York Times, from Darwin to Freud, and a lot of  “notable” people in between.

8

Foul Perfection by Mike Kelley

A book of essays and criticism by Mike Kelley. Not only was he a groundbreaking artist, he was also brillant.

9

Heschung Shoes

I really like a pair of Heschung shoes I recently bought at Barney’s. They were a little expensive but worth it. When I wear nice shoes, I dont mind being messy.

10

My Computer

I like to read the news on it and I use the bookmark a lot to go to websites like:

Truthdig

New York Review of Books Blog

Alternet

Coursera

Real Clear Politics

Curbed New York

Erowid

Purpose Fairy

Interdependence Project

A Blade of Grass

art blog art blog

and ……

Art Fag City (although i think that dumb thing about Eric Fischl should be taken down already)

Now I want to eliminate eight things (and Winston wont be one of them).

 

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