640-Obsessions-01

Well, the main reason I do any of this is that I want to leave the world a better place than the way I found it.

But what is Day For Night? That’s some question. Nobody knows for sure.

But my bet is that it’s something to do with my fascination with music.

Every time I sit down at a computer, I start typing, hoping that I will figure out something more than I knew the day before – about what Day For Night truly means. But it’s more of a today kind of thing; like what does Day For Night mean today?

I’ll come up with descriptors and definitions. Positioning statements.
Amusingly grandiose stuff, like: “DayForNight.com! An Ordering System – and a System of Order.”
Sooo clever …Get it? The Day For Night obsession with cataloguing and numbering, meets the demand to satisfying B2B and B2C commercial ends.
Or “Day For Night. Design From The Inside Out.” I must admit to quite liking that one, which was given to us in J.J. Abrams’ description of what he feels I do.

Obsession, good word. But doing that kind of positioning thing gets me going for about twenty minutes, until I realize that it’s a mistake – while invariably all are true statements, or variations, they’re still getting a little off the point.

Originally, the purpose of publishing some of my theses – under the collective title Obsession – is to document the process of Day For Night and its workings, from creation through output; even to clarify relationships between some of my post-Situationist influences: Jamie Reid, Malcolm McLaren. Factory Records, Design by Peter Saville. Rob Gretton, The Durutti Column…and who can forget Tony Wilson. It seems only natural to raise questions about these figures, in light of my lofty ideals.

Consistently these individuals and their works have inspired and triggered my output stages. Filtered through me, everything – music, values, inspiration, comedy, art, noise, nature, animals, people, tribalism, like-mindedness, archival strategies, typography, order systems, chaos, the spectacle…and ultimately, even Situationism – eventually becomes Day For Night.

These figures have inspired me during my drive to inspire others – to put their lives into action and find consistency of purpose; to seek out and pursue worthy ideals. In my case, all objectives relate to my continuing fascination with musical and artistic expression, and especially, the contrasts between a human lightness and a reclusive darkness.

It also seems appropriate to mention, here, that I often work alone to achieve these ends.

But then something happens – I show and share around these things with others – my VIP list – and much appears to be connected. Over time, these creations have attracted the kinds of people and businesses who want to give me money to develop these kinds of things for them too, so Day For Night has effectively become a modest business, after pleasure.