Misstress of the Home Trapped by Modern Convenience
January 03, 2017
Many years ago (actually in another century), I made a sculpture (shown above) titled: "Misstress of the Home Bound to Modern Convenience." Memories of this piece have been echoing in my mind for months while preparing for New Year's Day 2017 -- a self-imposed deadline to launch new digital content and update my online presence.
Are we trapped, bound or benefitted by "Modern Convenience?" This has been seven months of virtual housekeeping efforts at the risk of getting swept away by Google as an obsolete version. Technology is convenient, yes, but the effort to re-organize, improve access, and reduce expenses comes at a price.
After 7 months of effort, I have two new websites, an artist website and separate website for my silver repair business.
With the new website is a new email address. I would be glad to share it with you to stay in touch. Here's how...
Email me directly by clicking on the envelope (in the upper left column of this blog) or contact me through my website form or copy from the image (below right). I'm not printing the email here in order to avoid getting spammed.
Misstress of the Home Bound to Modern Convenience (the upright vacuum featured in this post) is 27" in height. It is not a found object but fabricated in 1982 to look like a real appliance. This is a very real and personal metaphor. "Harriete" means "mistress of the home." At the time I was commenting on many of the cultural expectations placed on women and the demands of modern living.
Misstress is purposely spelled "miss" as in the confinement of the idealized stereotype of "Miss America" beauty contests.
A new website also means eliminating my old website and the email associated with it. Very scary indeed! A thirteen year old web identity has been swept away. My old email @harriete-estel-berman.info will be gone.....nada...no more..... If this email was the only email you had for me..... it is disappearing.
It has been a huge effort to update all my "log in" information and newsletters. If... I have missed your updates...email me at my new address. When was the last time you look at every social network that includes your work?
More legacy costs are being swept away .....
For 28 years I had a studio phone for my studio and silver repair business. I grew up with the yellow pages at my fingertips, but who uses the yellow pages any more? My realization is that a business phone listing in the yellow pages is archaic.
I was spending $720 a year to have a listing in the yellow pages for my silver repair business, however, my new website for Berman Fine Silverwork was bringing in all the work. An update on my website and online presence like YELP and Facebook was just another example of "house cleaning" for the 21st century. Most of my customers contact me by email anyway. My cell phone will now fill every role, every day, studio and business.
Speaking of cell phones. The upside is that my both of my new websites are now mobile friendly, a mandated requirement by Google for being ranked in search results. Is your website "mobile-friendly?
The Professional Guidelines are now completely available on line also. Every word in every document is completely searchable on the web in addition to a downloadable PDF document. The Consignment Contract, Exhibition Contract, and Model Release Form are available as Word documents so they can be edited to suit your needs.
So my new year is a new me, new website, new email, new ways to get in touch. This Everready Working Woman is cleaning house.
Everready Working Woman from 1984 now meets the 21st century.
Harriete
This post was updated on December 13th, 2021.