As a little intro, I recently decided it would probably be nice (for me and for anybody who might chance by this blog) to set a day where I am to post about an artist/group/collaboration/somebody who inspires me. Newly out of school and away from the constant supply of People I Ought to Look At that I’d been receiving throughout the course of my entire Undergrad, this might be nice.

So thus we come to today’s, the first Sunday artist:

David Horvitz

I know I’ve heard of him before today… his name definitely sounds familiar, and his work is of the vein closest to my heart. But either way, I stumbled upon him again today. At work I’ve been passing my time with a variety of books, and today I happened to begin reading the “Best American ______” section of The Best American Non-Required Reading, 2008. Passing through Best American Police Blotter Items from Kensington, CA and Best American Facebook Groups, I came across Best American Things for Sale That This Man on the Internet Will Sell You. It was, as it turned out, a piece outlining the items David Horvitz lists for sale on his website (as of 2008).

An excerpt:

“If you give me $3 I will send you an empty envelope. It is like sending you nothing. Or at least, it is sending you something that has traveled a journey that is the distance from you to me.

“If you send me $1,689 I will go see a psychic, ask them where in the whole world I should go to, and then I will go there. I will mail you documentation of this from where ever it is I go to.

“If you give me $9,999 I will go see a psychic and ask them where I SHOULD NOT go in the whole world. I will then go there and mail you documentation of it from there.

“If you give me $30 I will walk around New York, and the first homeless person I see I will buy him or her whatever he or she wants to eat (as long as it is less than $30). I will mail you back the exact change (minus the PayPal fee and the cost of the postage stamp) with the receipt for the food and the name of the person who ate it.

“If you send me $1 I will sit in silence and think about you for one minute. I will send you an email when I start this, and I’ll send you another email when I’m done.

“If you give me $10 I will take a photograph of the sky just for you… I will also delete the file so that you will have the only existing copy of the photograph. It is just for you.

“This one is really serious. I’m scared to do this. But I think I have to. If you give me $10 I will think really hard of someone who I need to apologize to. I will write them a letter of apology. I will make two copies of the letter. I will send one to you and one to the person who I am apologizing to.”

-From The Best American Non-Required Reading, 2008 & www.davidhorwitz.com

This really just blows me away. Something very akin to my postcard project, only developed differently. It really makes me think about what I want to do next… I feel like I need to continue with something akin to my postcard project, a way to let From You, From There carry on. And this is a definite inspiration.

You can see more of David Horvitz’s work here. And while you’re at it, read this wonderful interview with him here.