Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Big Long-term Project


Last week I bought a gorgeous barrister bookcase at the East Barre Antique Mall. I have been wanting a large, significant piece of furniture that would allow me wide scope for a major piece in my collection of cabinets, and I think this is it. It is missing the glass, pull-down fronts, but is otherwise in excellent condition. I think I can retrofit glass in the front of the shelves if I want to when the piece is finished.

Right now I'm just playing by putting a few things on the shelves, as I try to figure out where the piece is going. I think it will have something to do with the movement of time; perhaps the shelves are different geological strata, or different kingdoms (animal,vegetable, mineral...), or different narratives (it is shaped a bit like a comic strip...). I have time to play. 


The wonderful thing about these bookshelves is that they are modular. Each of the shelves can be separated from the others. The cap at the top lifts off separately, and there is a drawer in the base. It is very elegantly constructed.

I have put a few pieces from the Parade series on top, just to look at them. There will definitely be something on top, but I'm not sure it's these figures...


While nosing around in antique and junk stores I found 23 volumes of diaries from 1945 - 1968, handwritten by three members of a central Vermont family. This has sent me on a hunt to find out who these people were, and I pretty much know now. Reading the diaries has been fascinating. They will certainly find their way into this cabinet.




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