Lauren, whether or not your title derives from Blake, I'd say most people would immediately think you're making some reference to the concept of Materialism that relates to Decartes' ontological theory of being, or to the underpinnings of the Enlightenment belief in empiricism, or more recently Hegel and Marx (or is that Dialectical Materialism?). Either way, your title sounds to me like a critical theory student, struggling with an assignment!
I hear much about materialism, but very little about the real reasons that people aquire the things that they do - on a personal level. For instance, we hear a lot about Londoners driving about in Range Rovers (big on materials) but I've never heard anyone genuinely try and explain why this is so.
The Book of Urizen ? .... Fascinating ! ... but I wonder first of all what are the motivation that has led you to chose such a title-installation ? .....' Struggling in the waters of materialism ' ...... and is it about our grotesque 'materialism' or perhaps a personal perception about our 'modern ' sense and feeling of emptiness as far as spirituality goes ? ... just wondering and somehow benignly speculating so to understand where do you want to get at ?..... needless to say that I'm rather curios about your own personal thoughts about such a profound title .
