Hey fellow extras,
I have to take a moment to shout out my OG Substack inspiration FOR SCALE. Written by David Michon → FOR SCALE is quite literally the most refreshing thing I’ve read about home decor (ever?). As an object designer, I seriously look FOR WARD to his new post every Monday and am a devout evangelist. The “manifesto” (strong word choice, but appropriate for the tone of FOR SCALE) delineates what the publication is about and I am here for it.
When I launched EXTRACONTEXTUAL at the beginning of the month and got the notification that FOR SCALE subscribed to this project* of mine (friends can attest) I was beaming. Thanks David.
A FOR SCALE MANIFESTO
(1) Objects are intercourse (the communication kind).
(2) Objects are not apolitical.
(3) Habitat is a medium.
(4) Objects should not be objectified.
In addition to school resuming, I started Sven Beckert’s Empire of Cotton: A Global History. (checked out from my local library and digitally delivered to my kindle)
“Cotton is as familiar as it is unknown. We take its perpetual presence for granted.”
I’m generally a cotton fanatic1 - I prefer my clothes to be natural fibers and in men’s shirts in particular that material is usually cotton. Despite my deep familiarity and intimacy with cotton’s ubiquity, I’m sure I’m not alone in my lack of knowledge in the myriad of factors that led to cotton being the backbone of the industrial revolution.
Very excited to keep moving through this book and continue to learn more about globalization, industry, supply chain, and of course, capitalism through the lens of one material. The extra + context it is providing is very aligned with my interests and I’m predicting this will be very generative for my practice.
I’m reminded of a book that I finished recently as I’m writing this. Christopher Mims’ Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door - Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy. The scope of this book was much larger than cotton, but the idea of convenience and ubiquity distancing us, the end users, from appreciating the remarkable innovation that the “perpetual presence” of certain things requires is related. For example, the scale and speed of our current supply chain would not exist without the standardization of the ever present intermodal transport of goods using shipping containers.
Whether that innovation is ethical good or bad or even necessary is another conversation (and as a reminder my goal with EXTRACONTEXTUAL is not to answer all the questions), but I find the progress and efficiency that need (or in these cases increased profits) generates to be a top of mind as a designer. Perhaps shipping containers as an method aren’t inherently negative (actually they are perfectly engineered for what they need to do), but if they didn’t exist, and container optimization wasn’t an economic necessity for every consumer good, what effect would that have on product design, quality and longevity?
Until next time,
*Nino
P.S. The paradox of intention is that the in-between is hard, but you can’t get better unless you put in the work. Nothing more to say, just wanted to say that just because you have the desire to do something, it doesn’t the negate the difficulty in doing it. Who can relate?
This also makes me an ironing fanatic and the sad irony of the iron is a topic for another day.
“Cotton is as familiar as it is unknown. We take its perpetual presence for granted.”
I’m a particular fan of cotton myself. All seasons! Cotton is more than just a commodity; it's a symbol of purity, fertility, and prosperity. In religions, myths, and folklore, cotton appears as a motif of abundance and renewal. Its softness evokes comfort, its resilience mirrors human endurance, and its versatility inspires creativity.
Now, ahem, as far as shipping containers go … hmm. I’ll ponder your thoughts. 😊Good read Nino!
WE <3 U