Lately, I have been reminiscing about how and when I came to love art. I was digging into my past, trying to pinpoint the moment when a piece of art struck me for the first time.
And in an instant, I knew. It was all then, on my 16th birthday, when my sister - who was 19 at the time and in her first year of studying architecture - handed me a photo book as a birthday present. It was the first time that I got a real photo book in my hands, more specifically the book Phaidon 55 by the American photographer Nan Goldin.
These photos opened my eyes. The rawness, the realness, and the beauty in it. Through her pictures, I was able - from my little Flemish hometown - to enter a much bigger world. A world of domestic violence, a world with sexworkers in New York, a world where someone could express herself and make bold statements through the art of photography.
When I was 19 myself, my sister and I went to New York together. I vividly remember the magic of standing in front of the original pictures - the exact ones that I had been gazing at for three years - by Nan Goldin at MoMa.
So I realise now: if it wasn’t for my sister, I wouldn’t be who I am now. My sister truly awoke that spark in me, that interest in art. And since I’m curious about humans, that interest automatically includes the artist behind it. So I want this letter to be a tribute to my sister. I’m so thankful that she opened that door for me, that she pointed my eyes to the beauty of creations and art. Thank you endlessly, sweet sis!
Realising that my sister has been a determining person for who I am & what I do today, makes me feel all warm and happy inside. So I suggest you, dear reader of this letter, go back in time and find that one person, that artwork, that striking documentary, the book, or the rare teacher who made you want to go for your art.
Who or what made you realise that art is an option and that it is an option, especially for you?