Perry L. Gardner: Private Journal #3
Friday, February 5, 1988
Maybe there is something to this journal writing that I’ve missed. I have been trying to follow instructions as I understood them, but to Hell with that! I’ll just let the journal take over like an oil painting in process. There is much going on, and this is a way to capture it.
Right now I’m waiting for the Epson printer to print out a picture—it is a slow process, but it is neat and clean. Bonnie is frustrated by the computer. “Why don’t you just make the lettering by hand,” she says.
That is a good question: Why would I rather do it on the machine? I guess because it is letter perfect, and so easy to fix to the point it is right—so flexible. The little pixels of light are on or off. If you don’t like what’s on the screen, just erase, with no crumbs, and do another. When the sketching is done, it can be made permanent, printed out, and saved on disk, and called back at will—or if it is a one-time thing, print it, post it, and don’t bother saving it—neat, clean and, effective. Pixels of light—on or off. Memory—on or off.
An elegant concept. I like my computer.