The week before last I was given so many weird and wonderful gifts. Thank you Phil (Water bottle and envelope dobber), Grandma (homemade bear and necklace) and Stevie (Dee Dee’s paper clips, embroidery apparatus and treasury tags).
Death row
I went to Birmingham this weekend to see my family and friends, which was great fun! I happened to have lots of furniture related adventures too. The first was on Friday when Theo told me he was throwing out his TV and taking it to the tip. I mentioned that if it was put outside the house with a pleasant note attached, that someone was bound to take it. It was agreed that this was a plan (I thank you) and I was put in charge of writing the note!
Unfortunately some school kids thought it would be mighty clever to remove the taped down remote and throw it to the floor. Faith in humanity when down many notches at that moment but was soon restored by a gentleman in a van who picked up the TV. Stevie went out to give him the previously confiscated remote and to help him load it into the van. He was very grateful and it was a lovely exchange. The second was on Friday evening when I spied these chairs next to Jo’s house hiding in the bushes.
The third was initially received via photo text message. I went to visit Jo’s Studio space (The Lombard Method) which is a wonderful space and Stevie text me to say he has spotted 6 chairs that were being thrown out at his office and whether Jo would like them. Jo did, so on Saturday morning we went to the office on our chair collecting mission.
On the way home is where my fourth experience happened. There was a line of discusting, fake leather cream sofa’s and arm chairs. They had been vandalised with red paint which in my opinion improved them ten fold! I decided to do a photo montage of what looked like furniture death row.
I wonder if I spent all of my time having experiences like this, whether I could somehow be employed to do so. Advisor of ‘good home’ furniture? Documentary Street Photographer? Manager of the Furniture Exchange Programme? I can dream.
I heart furniture
Caroline has seen two amazing discarded furniture sightings on the way to work. (Thank you!) This chair was found looking like it had a serious night on the town. This definitely wins the award for most precariously found chair!
The next day this couple were found. I think they had argued and made up but not totally forgiven each other. You can tell by their body language.
Free to a good home
Over the years, some of my favourite experiences are when there is a message left with the furniture. I think it restores your faith in humanity that just because they don’t want it anymore, they appreciate that it’s life isn’t over. I had no idea until I just collated these that they all said the same thing ‘Free to a good home’. I love the idea that they have specified what type of home the chair should go to.
Coincidence
This weekend I stayed at my friend Laura’s house in London (It was so lovely!). I was sat on her wonderfully comfortable sofa when out of the corner of my eye I saw on the book shelf the words ‘100 chairs’. I leapt up and almost jumped for joy as I saw it was the book ‘100 Chairs in 100 Days in 10 Ways’ I had previously discovered last week. What an amazingly great coincidence! I sat and perused it with a lovely cup of tea. Great end to a great weekend!
Breakfast time
I have been working on a new piece based on the most important meal of the day, breakfast. I decided to start by hollowing two eggs which is a lot harder than it sounds. A bit like blowing up a balloon that just wont budge. I then wrapped string around the first one for the length it takes to cook a hard boiled egg and the second for a soft boiled egg. And last but not least, you can’t have a breakfast without a cup of tea!
I would really like to exhibit this work on a white shelf at the height of a kitchen work surface.
My hero
I found a leaflet in the Lincolnshire Poacher after a tiny version of the picture below caught my eye. It was for an exhibition ‘Profusion’ that I have managed to miss or at least will miss as I canny drive! Today I googled the artist, Martino Gamper who had created the chairs and I was blown away!
In the last few hours he has become my hero as he not only collected ‘discarded chairs from London streets (or more frequently, friends’ homes)’ for two years but he the spent 100 days reinventing 100 chairs to transform the ‘character and/or the way it functions.’ So let’s just recap, he is a collector and is interested in discarded chairs. It has absolutely made my day!
This is just one of the blooming brilliant chairs called ‘Plastic-Fly’
Please go to the website to see more: www.gampermartino.com. You will not be disappointed!