For The Love of Thrifting

I’ve been a thrift enthusiast for most of my life. When I was little, my mom took me on excursions to Valley and Village Thrift shops, hunting for gold like Osh Kosh overalls and Polly Pocket compacts. Our house was furnished with heavy wood pieces from St. Francis and Salvation Army, decorated with local art and bonus finds that surfaced in thrifting journeys. Thrifting (and growing up among people who value the re-used, re-purposed, and handmade) left me appreciating the gift of the irregular, the peculiar, and all the things that were parts of other peoples’ lives before they became part of mine. 

As an adult, I appreciate the ways that thrift shops act as community snapshots, giving an idea of who people are and what they are into. It’s also interesting to see how people relate to objects: what one casts away, another may find value in. Thrift shops are absolutely bottomless wells of inspiration--I often peruse them just to see what I can see, and sometimes the knick knacks and particularities that reside there end up translated in my artwork. Thrifting is ephemeral, timeless, and always a thrill. It teaches me to be present for whatever may come in other parts of my life, and to always maintain an open perspective.