"Work makes work" --Richard Serra

Cradle to Cradle is intelligently written. As I hold this small text in my hands, I feel as though it is talking down to me. I do understand the severity of the situation but this a major guilt trip. By comparing the two types of bookmaking, one is highly advanced while the other dematerializes quickly. Both are making an effort to help the environment, just in different ways. With the two comparison of two types of lawns as either natural or civilized, I can blend the two ideas together.

We should be a natural civilization. Now, who is going to listen? Are huge companies reading this same info or even caring?

In the Making discusses Betsy Damon as an activist who questions what we are drinking in our water. This is an interesting concept because when something goes wrong, we say "There must be something in the water." Without water, we will not survive. It's a vital and natural resource for our own human sustainability. Damon believes that water as the source of all life can be a foundation to bring us all together.

When it comes to the environment and the art making process, I feel strange. Painters use expensive and toxic materials to paint an image. Sculptors require the most material and produce a lot of waste in order to create a piece that will make a statement while pushing down the grass. I try to recycle material but is it enough? We dwell in toxicity. We use these mediums to make a point. But are we really understanding it?

Damon allows water to become the main priority as it trickles and bubbles in the outdoor environment as flowing forms. This was a great project but there's just something about it that's not cutting it for me. When the artists discusses how the piece is about itself and not the success of the artist, I felt a bit blah. Artists and art majors want recognition.

Sure, fame and fortune are great but I feel as though that some are romanticized with the process without taking a second glance. At the end of the day, the artist's name is attached to the work. Success comes in different forms. At times I feel like artists are conditioned to have these ideas about making art about the art. We care so much about the environment but are we part of the cure instead of the disease?

With Cradle to Cradle, it reminds me of Freakonomics, which sounds like a business model for our lives. I just wish that In the Making gets down to the process and craft of the works rather than focusing on the intent of the artist. I guess I just need more details.