Five Words, 2016

At the bar, I’m introduced to a colleague who asks me what kind of work I make. As usual, I set about formulating an impromptu definition, including recent developments and the current line of research. In the middle of the preamble, he interrupts me abruptly. Too long, he says, you must be able to describe your work with five words only. I try to explain that I avoid promotional slogans, and that I find this five-words rule rather uninteresting. If you can’t do it, he adds, it means your work is not good enough. I play his game and utter: Always Absolutely Avoiding Catchy Definitions. In the meantime I get curious and ask about him. Painting with Elementary Shapes and Primary Colors. I goggle at him, and burst in laughter while the words slip out of my mouth. That sounds terribly tedious! He turns his back and start chatting with someone else.