Growing up, one of the most ornery and pessimistic human beings that I had to be subjected to on an unfortunately regular basis was our blacksmith, Buddy. He would come by every twenty days or so to reshoe the horses at the barn. I would stay as far away as possible while he worked, trying to stay clear of his generally scathing comments about anything and everything. But one day he made a remark that stopped me in my tracks and that I've thought about a lot since then. He quipped : "There's nothing worse than has beens and gonna be 's.
When I read Giorgio Agamben's article, Buddy's comment, like some spirit, came racing into my consciousness. And I realized that a Contemporary for me means someone who Is. By this I mean someone who creates their and our reality. Agnès Varda symbolizes this ideal in that her films are of this time but also before it. Many are instant classics so they will perpetuate being for the now. She also is not afraid to step into her own films and look at her self objectively. And thematically she takes on relevant subjects making an active contribution by addressing the problems of the now.
Emily Wardill, Sick Serena and Dregs and Wreck and Wreck, 2007, 16mm film
and ....Looking to the future, another artist that I hope can step into this role is Emily Wardill.
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