#18 - that's what we have

Approximately one year and a half ago (April 2007) I made a discovery. Flatwin. I was waiting to meet up with a few of my friends at the Olympia Arts Walk, I came across a table in the middle of the street. (For a quick catch-up for those of you who aren't familiar with arts walk, it is a time when 100's of businesses and artists display their art and their talents through performances and displays. The Spring Arts Walk also includes the Procession of the Species which is when people in the community create costumes and vehicles to look like different animals and they parade down the street (usually accompanied by their pets). It is one of the defining attributes that makes Olympia, Olympia). It was just a regular small table and there was a regular looking man (okay, he gave a striking resemblance to David Duchovney) sitting surrounded by flat black combs displayed in a plastic case. What drew me in was his speech, "I'm basically doing nothing. I am selling combs for a dollar. You give me a dollar, and I give you a comb. That is all that is happening." Evidently one day on his front step appeared a large box filled with hundreds of flat black combs. He wondered what he was going to do with all of these and then it came to him. "This is something that I can do, in the world. I am in the world, and this is what I am doing. I'm selling combs for a dollar." I stood there just staring at him with my mouth partially open, amazed at his ability to attract this much attention. He really was doing basically nothing and selling practically nothing, but I couldn't move away from his presence. I texted my friends and told them where I was and they were equally entranced. I thought at first that this was some sort of social experiment and kept looking around for the hidden camera. Anyway, he has expanded his business to now selling, "It's a Comb" "It's a Twig" "It's Art" "It's a Flat Can" "It's Nothing" "It's a Piece of Burnt Toast" and "It's a Booklet". Currently (because I've been away from home) I only own the Comb and the Twig, but will make my collection complete and up-to-date in three days when I am at last home for Thanksgiving. What is it about the Flat Win Company that pulls at my being. I'm drawn to their products and can not see my home complete with out "Nothing". He inspires: how am I contributing to the world?

Check him out: www.buyolympia.com/q/Artist=The+Flat+Win+Company and tell him Vanessa sent you (maybe we'll be friends!)