Why Art? and Why Vinyl?

I suppose my connection to art came as a byproduct of the environments in which my formative years were spent. As a child, each morning was soundtracked by ABC radio. Each bus ride to school my iPod (and later iPhone) earbuds in my ears, and each laborious study session guided by my favourite songs and albums. Similarly, the presence of literature and television is something I have long grappled with, but in recent years have become quite dependent on. For the first 24 years of my life art has been a constant source of inspiration, guidance and calm amongst the chaos of life. For this reason, I find myself drawn to it more than anything else.

The vinyl interest arose in me in the twilight of my teens when I started to really become someone who not only consumed and absorbed music on a regular basis, but also someone that leaned on music as a crutch through a difficult, formative period. To that end, I wonder if this is a common theme among the reason for the resurgence of the vinyl medium, or some other reason/s that can explain the “why?” and “why now?”. Personally, I recall the feeling of owning something physical, something tangible only increased my connection to the art and the artist when I started buying my first records. It turned out that the vinyl was just a gateway to the things I found joy in, and also served as an entry point that I could rely on, somewhere I knew where to find at all times. This is now why I want to unpack the commercial tendencies of vinyl records, to try and bridge gaps between materialism and psychology, purchasing patterns and metaphysical voids. Ultimately, to make sense of my own experiences buying vinyl by connecting them to those of others.

To summarise, I feel my connection to art, and in particular music and vinyl records, is now sustained by its ability to make sense of all the things that make me human. Joy, grief, passion or whatever it may be, art allows me to embrace my humanity and at the same time remind me of my connection to the world and people around me. Art is a celebration of what makes us human and is a constant source of inspiration for me not just creatively, but in all aspects of life.