PHILOSOPHY

-LONG-

Villain Standard is about more than just an appreciation for good design, it’s a way of living. It's an accumulation of tangible and intangible factors in life that make it unique to each individual. It's about how individuals use those factors to connect with the world around them. It takes the tasks we live by everyday and turns them into rituals and acts worth celebration. It’s about being delighted to give new meaning to regular behaviors. It’s an approach that takes what we know to be iconic, and changing those things, putting them in new light. Villain Standard focuses on enriching all aspect of life, indulging the senses frequently, and eliminating painful tedium by bringing unexpected resolutions to a wide range of situations. Villain Standard values a staunch work ethic and being prepared while on the clock, but also believes in the importance of leisure. In doing so, Villain Standard creates value for ourselves through a strong belief in doing things differently. It’s this combination of factors that fuels Villain Standard, and are essential for continuing to come up with creative solutions. 

When asked what it means to be a Villain, a few things generally come to mind. The key thing being that we can't all be the heroes and we must admit to ourselves that we don’t get a choice in being portrayed as a protagonist. Some people like to entertain the idea that they’re always the Hero, often enough though, whether you are a Hero, or a Villain is a matter of perspective. What is dinner to the spider, is murder to the fly. Arguably everybody is a Villain at some point. Some even embrace the idea. After all- every decent Hero needs a conflict or challenge giving them a reason to call what they know into question- you need antagonists to move any story along, to push those limits, and do the things that others don't want to do. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We wouldn’t get vey far without a bit of conflict and unease. Being a Villain, while often coming with a negative connotation, does generally come with its perks though. As a Villain you are given allowance to abandon any preconceived expectations. A Villain can be a catalyst in an otherwise stagnant situation. It’s, in part, their job to stay full of surprises, and keep others on their toes. They should like to push boundaries. A Villain gives off a sense of confidence and charisma, while still holding onto personal rules and morals. A Villain can be stylish, and their actions don’t have to be explained.  They find that sometimes true elegance is refusal, and understand that there should be no promise for conformity or convention. They have the ability be wildly inconsiderate in the best of ways. Villains should be comfortable outside the box of what would otherwise be expected and unwilling to compromise simply because it’s not the way things are normally done. Heroes by comparison, can be irritatingly dull.

Villain Standard appreciates the standardization of things- partially because knowing the rules allows us to break them better and in a much more elegant fashion. Likewise,  we think it’s important to know your own personal rules. A Villain without some sense of standards may as well just be a monster.  It’s important to be aware of what is happening in the world, along with your place in it, to help potentially  determine the most effective way of skewing the way it is perceived. It’s equally important to understand why it is that some tried-and-true traditions work so well, realizing what was done correctly in the past saves us a lot of time and energy spent in the present. Being attentive towards some of these  practices of the past can aid us in continuing to have a sense of a comfortable and cohesive future. Realizing this helps things feel as if they are correct, or that they follow an agreed upon order. Villain Standard honors marking occasions with ceremony and exorcising daily routines. Alternatively, chaos helps keep it fresh. While believing in something is important, rigidity is less great. To keep things developing, you ideally have some parts of order and chaos. It’s crucial to have change and an attempt to redefine things, addressing that not all things age well, and need to be updated to follow current lifestyles and trends. One way to go about doing this is by taking somethings greatest weakness and turning it into a strength. Learn to embrace the flaw, while being cautious to not over glorify the unseemly. Chaos allows us to see and revere order. Chaos is an essential part of what make this world cruel and random at time, but it's also what makes some much of it beautiful and continuously provocative. As order is often an impression of mankind, chaos is an expression of nature. This isn’t to say that complete anarchy is by any means a solution to banality- there is an art to it all.

As far as we can tell, we only get to go around the block once. Once we are done, the show is over, at least in this state of consciousness and particular vessel. Bearing that in mind, everything tells a story. Everything comes and goes- then back again in some other form. What is the story of that thing in its present form? If there is a bust in a room- where do the eyes go? what does it see? is this reflected on the face of the bust? These are the sorts of things that should be considered when creating or placing an item. Striving to treat every step with honor and integrity. There is something to the art of life beyond being about design or fashion. Art helps give the world around us meaning. It’s capable of conveying ideas across various medias and platforms, and breaking down barriers. Art is available when you don’t have the right words. When you need to express an experience or notion there is art. It can also be about creating and maintaining certain illusions. There is a beauty in embracing the deceit, and giving into whimsy. After all, without whimsy, going to go see a magician perform would just be going to watch a liar. It’s significantly less fun. It’s the art that makes it enjoyable, something worthwhile.  Art fosters curiosity, and cultivates the strange. The magic of things that have the ability invoke nostalgia, or possess unplaceable familiarity.

My intention isn’t for glory, nor fame or anything of the ilk. Too many people are obsessed with glory, too concerned with how much attention any creative endeavor can gain them. I do it because it’s what I’ve always done- at least in some regard. It’s something I need to do. In its own way, it’s a way of giving back, trying to bring interest and beauty to a place or situation that previously lacked it. I just want to make interesting things that can speak for themselves. Allowing the experience to be on the observer, and not feeling a need for credit to receive gratification. Mostly I make things and do things out of compulsion. The bid to remove ego from creative work. Happiness comes from knowing it's out in the world.