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Quiet
A Project by Nick Baba

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Quiet as a Concept:
As a child, Ive always wondered what life in my twenties would be like. Ive finally
reached the bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how life is panning
out, but not being able to show your past self what youre taking for grated.The past 3
years of my life have been a bit of a craze. Quick, fast, enthusiastic and ever-changing.
I went from living in San Francisco for most of my life, then at 18 moving to Los
Angeles, then at 19, moving across the country to NYC, and constantly traveling back
and forth between all cities, having to fully immerse myself in order to fully feel at home.
But for some time, I kept having the subtle but persistent feeling that something was
missing, but it took me time to realize that was.Living in New York is a city of drastic
extremes. For me, the highs here will always be higher, and the lows will be some of the
worst points Ive ever experienced. When anyone first moves to the city, its easy to get
caught up in all of the energy and rawness that the city cultivates. It can be incredible to
feel vibrant and awake walking down 5th Avenue at 3 am, or to meet people and
experience a new place in a way that leaves you feeling more alive and fulfilled. I love
the city for all of its never-ending buzz and the endless experiences. For me, living here
was the first time in my life where I actually felt completely independent and confident.
And even though I was living far on my own, away from everyone and their projections
of me, I was unable to escape and find my own personal solitude. Moving and travel,
can make you see the world in a different way, but it can also remind you of what youve
left behind.At some point, everyone living in a major city, native or not, get to a point
where they crave true solace, something resembling peace, or at least a sanctuary of
solitude.In NYC, you can be in the midst of a crowd of people and still experience

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loneliness, but not solitude, since you are not physically alone. Similarly, if you enjoy
being alone, you can have solitude without loneliness.I realized that what I longed for
was the solitude and comfort of my home in San Francisco. I missed the satisfaction of
quietness. The joy of waking up and realizing you have the house to yourself. Being the
only person in a park or a coffee shop, quietly enjoying your time without any feeling of
rush or haste. Even something as simple as being able to fall asleep with the absence
of car sirens and miscellaneousbackground noise. Being part of a group and belonging,
and giving ourselves solitude and personal space is one of lifes biggest challenges.
Although our families and friends might be our greatest source of inspiration and
support, we must first take the time to care for ourselves. In solitude.

A Guide to Withdraw:
Whether our lifestyle is gloriously ideal or quietly chaotic, we all need to carve out a
space of our own.One of the best ways to preserve personal space can be to simply
slip away from the crowd. If we get an urge to snap at our closest confidants or hush our
boyfriends, the best course is often to remove ourselves from the situation at hand to
retreat and regroup. Simple solitary activities such as taking a walk or reading in bed
can help restore our calm composure. Other solutions for alone time include using an
evening to disappear in the garden, slipping away for an afternoon nap or opting to stay
in a nearby hotel rather than our old bedroom. While some may protest our absences,
these acts of self-preservation can prolong and strengthen social life itself over time.

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What is Quiet?
Quietness as a lifestyle trend that is a relatively new concept. With the onset of the
overconsumption and overstimulation of the 21st Century, some friends either
embraced the chaos, or countered against it. Quietness is a trend that embraced the
simple. This trend emerged in the early 1960s among the artists who were consciously
renouncing recent art they thought had become overbearing. With the wave of
influences derived from Japanese and Scandinavian design, and the rediscovered
styles from the recent past, new artists to experimented with conventional boundaries
between various media and streamlined it. This new art favored the lack of association.
Like the Minimalists who distanced themselves from the Abstract Expressionists by
removing suggestions of semiotics from their art or metaphors of any kind, this denial of
expression created for a more theoretical design theory. Todays problem seems to be
the meaning we assign to our possessions. Nowadays with the wide variety of visual
culture, we tend to associate so much meaning to our things. The possessions we have,
the things we wear, even the people we associate ourselves with are seen as means of
branding. This overbearing theme often forsakes our relationships, our passions, our
personal growth, and our desire to contribute beyond ourselves. This relates to the
study of semiotics, whichis the study of meaning-making and the study of sign
processes which lead to meaningful communication.

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At its root: Quietness in the home
Theres no place like home, right? At least thats what we all want to think, but is your
home making you stressed out? Do you walk in the door after a long day of work only to
be greeted by piles of laundry, dishes and clutter? Did you ever consider the idea that
your home could be increasing your stress levels? You may be surprised to learn your
home can drastically affect your mood, and it can even make you sick.

Quiet Days:
I like my days to be ordinary, and if I work long days and sleep less, Im not as focused.
I used to live a fast and spontaneous life. But now, my days and evenings have become
more structured, and I really like that. I now enjoy getting my day started early, and I like
to get to bed around 11 p.m. The last two to three hours before bed are sacred. I
consider my bedroom a sanctuary and quiet space. I like to keep work away from my
bed, which means no notebooks, sketchpads or pens. Ive learned to keep food away
from my sleeping area toopreferably in the other room. This really helps with putting
my mind at ease and ensures that Im not snacking just before I go to bed. After
washing my face and making a cup of tea, which usually calms my nerves for a solid
slumber.I try to avoid being distracted during this timeI dont look at emails or plan
any major meetings. I just try and relax by listening to music or escaping reality by
watching tv or a movie. This has been my routine for years now, and I love
it.SometimesIn the morning, every morning, I lay in bed for a few minutes and think
over my dreams. I pursue my notifications. I check Instagram, snapchat, reply to emails.
Then I get up. I drink tea and make breakfast. Ill usually have oat porridge with fruit and

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nuts, or sometimes a smoothie, depending on whats in season. After eating, I jump into
the shower and prepare to begin my day. I like to shower in the morning in order to
wash away everything and start each day fresh,looking forward to my a cup of coffee
which I will later get at Cafe Kitsune.

Quietness: Essentialism versus Minimalism

Like its doppelgnger minimalism, essentialism dislikes excess and revels in a calm
surrounding. But you dont have to wear only black, drink coffee without cream or purge
your unworn clothes to hone life to a fine point. Although living sparely has its virtues,
the grand task of essential living is to uncover the elements that bring us bliss.The point
being is that you dont deprive yourself.A cultivated selectivity can transform plain
objects into relics of our life story. Our personal relationship to items gives them
significance, an essence that goes beyond their physical properties.

Quietness in Fashion:
The latest fashion trend that is sweeping the streets of New York, Paris and Milan
seems to be a smarter, sportier play off the minimalist, monochromatic trend that
showcased itself during the late 90s. Now the sportswear trend isn't necessarily
anything new, but it seems to be interpreted differently as the seasons progress. This
season, the look isn't necessarily strictly active-wear. Im not talking about Adidas
jerseys, wedge sneakers and Lulus, those should be kept for the gym only. Key
signifiers of this trend include monochromatic color-ways, slouchy tees, minimalist
sneakers, varsity jackets, backpacks, and of course,the looser-fitting pants. The look is

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a bit more utilitarian and refined from the previous sportswear trends, and seems to be
a lot more put together with mainly the elimination of color and the monochromatic color
scheme.

Quietness in Art:
In the fine art world, quietness in art deals with complete abstraction in art. This art,
which is not representational, could be based on any subject matter or may have no
source at all in the external world. In reference to other artists Ive researched, I decided
to create an art project that would accompany my work. By wandering through the
edges of different spaces within my personal environment, I will attempt to capture the
beauty in our environment. Looking for both the color and beauty in the desolate
borders of the grey man-made structures or the quietness of the sleeping infrastructures
of an urban environment, or the solitude of a quiet corner.