front yard

reminiscence
castillo, jan francis
2019-06295
arts 1 wfy1
“front yard reminiscence“ is the theme that I would like to highlight in this installation art exhibit. I used my porch to show a glimpse of
my point of view in the times I start my days with the scenery.

Way before the pandemic, even before college, the front yard is what I usually see before I step outside to go with my endeavors. I
never really paid attention to it in retrospect, all I know are the rows of plants my mother kept giving a pizzazz of design for the yard.
It was a minor detail in my case, but it was a detail that was always there. I never noticed how the plants grew, how the flowers
bloomed and wilted as time passes on, but it remained there, not going anywhere. It is just changing slowly, but surely.

We as humans are designed to focus more on the big details in a way that smaller attributes are ignored or simply not seen. Maybe we
recognize these objects first, but those that are usually fixated will be part of our status quo vision, the things we often do not keep in
mind on a day-to-day basis. Their changes are for the most part gradual, and so we do not acknowledge it for it will be too tiring as
we are not robots that output and record each coordinate change. But given a significant timeframe, then the changes accumulate,
and they start to break the image of the status quo vision. Thus, we only recognize the changes when they are loud enough that we
cannot ignore them.

In life, we often undermine these small changes. Perhaps it would be easier for our minds to focus on our goals, but with this behavior,
we often forget to be in the present. To acknowledge and thank the world that we are where we are. The same thing can be said
otherwise, to acknowledge small changes, these small nuances are to call out life’s microaggressions. Either way, it shows us a facet
of appreciation of the life we often overlook, and some may regret that they were too late before they noticed that the details they
loved were already gone, or the problem they gave no interest in grew into an inescapable void.

The cranes placed on my mother’s plants showed me that we should not be comfortable living in a single perspective. Sure, we may
omit these daily details from time to time to focus on the more important stuff. But it is essential to just breathe, live, and notice how
the leaves fall, how our times are fleeting how things move and change and stay as who or what they are. The presence of cranes in
these overlooked details is a reminder that we should always be conscious of the present issues we face (for this instance, the plants
are starting to get dusty). We should thank the stars for the blessings we receive, and ponder and pat ourselves in the back for we also
leave small details in this world. You will just be surprised to see these small steps and gasp in awe at how far you have become
because of these tiny changes.
artist's statement
We think in generalities,
but we live in detail.
alfred north whitehead
Dwell on the beauty of
life. Watch the stars,
and see yourself
running with them.
marcus aurelius
Sometimes the best
things are right in
front of you; it just
takes some time to
see them.
gladys knight
 Blessed are they
who see beautiful
things in humble
places where other
people see nothing.

camille pissarro
It's the little details that
are vital. Little things
make big things
happen.
john wooden
There are moments in life, and they happen so
infrequently that they tend to really stand out, when
life hands you the gift of perspective. Sometimes, we
forget to show our appreciation. Sometimes, we get
our priorities mixed up. And, sometimes, we forget
how far we’ve come. But life always has a way of
nudging you to remind you about these important
things.

cassia leo
 Extra: The
Rummage of
Yesterday
this used to be my neighbor's house. i
remember it being a traditional Filipino home.
it was elevated and the space below is reserved
for cooking and the like. i remember myself as i
young child that often visited this home.
my family was close to the family that once
lived here. i played with the fellow children of
the family with games such as tumbang plreso,
patintero, etc.

Now, it looks nothing like the warm home i

once witnessed.
for the meantime, nature took over.
Nostalgia is a way of remembering people and places and things, and
wishing things hadn't changed. It has a sweetness to it. Sadness is
just--well--being sad.

Linda Lael Miller