Consider this: Men mine iron ore; smelt it; turn it into steel; form the steel into sheets; transform the sheets into heavy equipment. At each stage labor and resources add value to the ore. People then use the heavy equipment to transform the earth; plant and harvest food; process that food; transport that food to super markets where we pick it up and drive it back to our kitchens in our steel vehicles. When the heavy equipment is used up and no longer functions as intended it goes to the scrap yard; where men cut it up and smash it into manageable chunks. This steel, now reduced to $100 per ton raw material (or $.10 – .20 per lb in small quantities) had a full life. It sits in the yards for decades; oxidizing, pitting and developing altogether new properties. The steel waits. Last week’s wabi-sabi wednesday photograph was just that — scrap steel in the yard of Tyler Studios, ltd; waiting.
In the hands of a creative talent this scrap becomes raw material to create a beautiful “new” object.
(click photographs for larger view)
With each heat and hammer blow the craftsman adds new value to the old material. Additional photographs of this process can be found here.
The artist, Seth Tyler, has drawn the plans and made the prototype model as the first steps toward creating the full scale range hood.
Within a few months the completed range hood will hang in a fine kitchen. It will absorb the cooking aromas, heat, laughter, anger and tears of the family cooking and dining there. From morning coffee to celebrations it will continue to evolve with an ever changing patina; unique to its new environment; full of wabi-sabi to be sure.
Leica R8, 35 mm Summilux (15 mm Super Elmar)
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Nicely done.