Wednesday Edition: Stephanie Cinelli

Good Wednesday greetings to you all, Important Collectors, each and every one. Yes, you! You Are Important.

Today's edition comes to us from Stephanie Cinelli. She first showed You Are Important at the gallery waaaaay back in 2005, when Hey, Hot Shot! made its big debut; it's remained a favorite of mine since then.

There's a melancholy tone to this image, which makes total sense considering that it's from a body of work which explores "the changing landscape of a household divided," but for me it's always been about hope's triumph over despair. My inner cornball believes in the power of optimism, in part because I've experienced its healing effects first hand.

I've had a sticker on my apartment door for years that reads I <3 MY SOCIAL SKILLS. It's from a set of stickers that my friend Ryan McGinness produced for Web1.0 art site RSUB. On the side of my fridge is another from the series, proclaiming I <3 MY ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (albeit in a much smaller font.) Ryan surely had his tongue in cheek when producing these items, but I am not ashamed to admit that their presence soothes me.*

The ADD affirmation isn't the only feel-good verbiage on my fridge. A while ago, a friend staying at my house shifted all the front-of-my-fridge clutter to its side and arranged just two pieces on the freezer door: a postcard from my beloved Jeffrey Teuton proclaiming in big block letters YOU ARE THE BEST and directly below it a tattered snapshot of four year old me. (Said friend is decidedly OCD, rather than ADD. Naturally, I have a sticker for that as well!) It's been years since he did that, but they're still there. Sure, I run the risk of giving the impression that I'm an utter narcissist, but it's well worth the reminder of my friend's affection for me and the overall feel-good results of their presence.

So I see that "You Are Important" and imagine that it's working for whoever is looking at it every day, whether they realize it or not. It also doesn't hurt that there's a strong pull of nostalgia. The array of tzotchkes and products atop the Formica counter-top conjure fond memories of my grandparents' house: the allure of my grandmother's red lipstick, the smell of my beloved grandfather's Vitalis and the exotic mystery of that which can only be explored on tippy-toes.

OK, basta with memory lane and Stuart Smalley patter! There are other important matters to attend to. We've got some super special stuff brewing for next week. Until then, browse our archives for any must-haves you might have missed and remember that you can get a steady stream of 20x200-related miscellany via our blog.

*I long ago embraced my ADD and not-exactly-a-wallflower personality as a couple of the key things that add up to me being me. What's the use in fighting it? I might as well enjoy their unexpected benefits - the ADD makes me capable of doing a million things at once and the gregariousness means that rarely is a question left un-asked.

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