WHERES' THE LOVE GONE?
I love a bit of brand new snazzy kit. Electronic gadgets that wirelessly pull our strings & state of the art materials & fittings engineered to hundredths of a millimetre. They can be very sexy, no doubt about it.
But....wheres the love gone?
Antique heirlooms, auction house purchases & objects have a story to tell, they resonate their lifes' travels through the patina of being sometimes loved too much, through their self evident wear, repair & care. If they could relate their story, the things they have witnessed, the families, the fashions & the hands that cleaned, caressed, dented or scratched. We would love them even more. Show them respect, and if, and when they fail or fall foul to the vagaries of current fashion, reconsider their use or repair them with the skill of hardworking hands and the receipt of handed-down practice.
I have an antique games set, that my aunt gave me. It needs some serious attention, but that does not detract from its sheer beauty. It sat for many years on the bar of a pub called "The Gun" in the East End. Provided much amusement I imagine for many of the regulars but more importantly knew my grandad, Arthur, whom I never had the pleasure of meeting. I hope to repair it myself one day. It sits on a shelf and in my eyes emits an older statesmen glow & provides the space with a kind of integrity.
There is a movement currently towards modern furniture being traditionally made. This can only be a good thing. Furniture, made from natural materials that have the capacity to grow old gracefully, will be handed down & appreciated for generations. This is good for the environment & good for the soul.