In our most recent archives as evidence class we were to look at objects as evidence. Asked to bring in a personal item to show the class I had a rummage through one of the boxes in my cupboard and uncovered an object that was meaningful to me as a child. My very first pencil case!
I know pencil cases are not usually the most exciting objects but my one had a personal significance to me because my father made it for me. We discovered throughout the class how ordinary objects could mean something to their owner when we knew the context surrounding them.
After reading Jules David Prown’s article “Mind In Matter,” I was able to see not only how you can analyse a object without knowing its context, but how much more significant it can become when you know some of its background information. Looking at my pencil case you would probably not recognise it straight off as carrying out such a function. In the shape of a river barge boat, its not the most practical thing to fit in a schoolbag. You would recognise that it was hand made from wood and hand painted. Looking at it more closely you would see that it was well used, with some chips to the woodwork.
By viewing the object in this way the viewer could determine that it is a one off (to my knowledge anyway) and therefore has some value being the only one of its kind. The materials used such as wood means it has no material value, but the fact that it is hand painted and decorated suggests it has personal value. Looking at the artwork on the boat relates back to traditional barge painting.
As I’m the owner, I can give more contextual information about why this object is valuable to me and what my possessed my father, with no woodworking skills, to make me a pencil case in this odd shape. I believe the main reason my father made me this was because at a very early age I watched Rosie and Jim on television, who travelled on a traditional canal barge. I have still kept this item because I feel it was a personal object made especially for me and perhaps influenced my interest in drawing at an early age. Hopefully if ever found in the future, it won’t lead cultural researchers to appraise the quality of children’s television and its influence on the art and technological world.
ambiguous imps 