Object Histories
Carrying something around in our pockets,
Nothing really,
but just something
to see where it fits.
It might just fit in a pocket.
A smooth stone, some found pennies, a bottle cap, several buttons, a crumpled shopping list, a couple of rubber bands and a paper clip. I like the image of the parent who empties the pockets of the child’s clothes before putting clothes in the wash. What story do these token tell? I tend to set things out to observe them, sometimes in a place; sometimes, no place. I stumble upon these tokens, maybe rearrange them, adding like to like, or an odd bit to a set of likes. They evoke reverie. Try it, notice, do that, too.
We continuously come across cherished and worn objects that beg to release histories. These secrets of use become encoded in the worn surfaces and chipped or broken corners. I have several rolling pins; some came from a neighbor’s home. She was over 90 when she died and her home then emptied and sold. I wondered how many pie-crusts and how many biscuits had come under these wooden cylinders. In an age where kitchen goods sold as antiques fill roadside warehouses, I wish that pie and muffin tins could recite stories, including overheard conversations and favorite recipes.
Tell the story of some object, simply and with a sense of humor. Let it spark someone's imagination. If no one is around to listen, write on a slip of paper and use it as a label for the object. Whose old worn tool is this is?
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