I finally incorporated my last cigarette in a piece of art. Again I followed the temple format denoting simple columns and a frieze. The frieze is decorated with 25 burned matches representing the 25 years or so that I smoked and although I had many “left over” cigarettes I only used one with a nail through it. I also included a photograph taken of me smoking about 15 years ago. I actually like that photograph (I don’t like many photographs of me) – it was taken in a restaurant in Italy and I’m younger and look fresher. I transferred a copy of the photograph to wax paper and a scroll nailed onto the artwork. I wanted it to denote a time gone by, something in the past, the end of something.
I’ve been a non-smoker for eight months now and glad that I have quit. I was at home, in Ireland, for a week recently and I have to say that I didn’t think of a cigarette in all that time. However since I’ve been back I have thought about it more and am now questioning whether working on this project is prolonging withdrawal symptoms.
Archive for March, 2008
My Last Cigarette
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008Linda’s Last Pack (stash) immortalized
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008I’ve just finished Linda’s putting together Linda’s artwork for her packet of marlboro cigarettes that she sent me. I will write more about this in a week or two but I decided that I wouldn’t open the pack or pull it apart i.e. (a) I felt it was important to leave the pack intact and unopened and (b) to preserve the purity of the packaging as the cigarette company intended. I simply inserted two pristine nails into the pack to match the “clean design” lines of the pack. I used a design that conjures up images of crypts for me and also old billboard signs that you see in movies – you know the type that had the wanted signs on them. I put a single bell to add the idea of churches and celebrations. Linda was a closet smoker so for the most part she has had to deal with withdrawal on her own without the support of friends – so a single bell to denote her journey is appropriate.
