Handled With Care Exhibition

Handled With Care

CONTENTS ELENI KALANTIDOU 3 MADELYN DWIGHT 5 AKIRA SUTTON 6 DOMINIQUE CHEN 10 KARA SIMPSON 12 EMMA HODGSON 14 LENNAH KUSKOFF 23 LUKE THOMASSON 24 MELANIE GUPTA 26

Handled With Care1 This - bitter earth Well, What a fruit it bears What good is love Mmmmmmmm That no one shares This Bitter Earth, Dinah Washington

Writing an essay on repair and share cannot be based on scholarly papers. These practices cannot be chronologically defined or separated from intrinsic activities such as breathing and eating. Sharing was the basis of creating the first habitats of humanity along with repairing or fixing what prevented survival from happening, such as behaviours, practices and a progressing model of interaction with nature.

Nonetheless, the contemporary understanding of repair and share is limited to seeing these practices as ghosts of a devalued past. A past of labour. A past of pain.

This would be fair enough if the present was characterised by green fields, blue skies and unquestioned happiness. But it is not. Pain has been deliberately transformed into waste, a condition to be surgically removed from any practical activity. This perception, which is rooted in Kant’s ‘moral imperative’, who acknowledged pain as ‘the obstacle to moral behaviour’ (Braidotti 2010, p.50), has led to an age of reason preoccupied with how not to confront the negative and the painful. Consequently, what is not being confronted is that the pain we unintentionally cause to all forms of life has a direct impact on us. In this context, if pain is waste, then waste equals an ‘improper use that operates within a more or less moral economy of the right, the good, the proper, their opposites and all values in between’ (Scanlan, 2005 p.22). A ‘moral economy’ that allows the improper use of resources, competencies and human ethics reinforces a cognitive and practical deskilling that perpetuates the loss of endurance. And endurance here is not portrayed as a means to withstand suffering but as the mode to cognitively evolve and practically progress by overcoming pain and learning from it.

Repair and share embed endurance in the form of exhausting all potential of an artefact and bearing the pain of emotional detachment from things that are no longer of use, respectively. Their culture, the culture of repair and share, creates a framework for social resilience and the prospective of renegotiating the ethics of the political; taking up the challenge to responsibly acknowledge that which can be mended, that which is beyond fixing and that which can be reconfigured (for example, lifestyles, cities, communities).

This task is affirmative. Pain takes the shape of a driving force in circumstances of extreme precariousness and futural uncertainty. Through the activities of repair and share it gets reconnected with human psychology, brings back the memory of it being transformed into healing, in the same way the pain of gardening nurtures the soil to bear fruits and the pain of mending brings back to life a piece of wood or a torn dress.

ELENI KALANTIDOU 3

This exhibition is based on the research project "‘Handled With Care’: Developing The Paradigm Of ‘A Culture Of Repair And Share’ in Brisbane, Queensland". This project has been a labour of care. It acknowledges that cultures of endurance are of necessity to be visible. Its outcomes can be found in www.handledwithcare.org.au and are supported by a blog blog.handledwithcare.org.au and an App (Apple App store-Handled with care).

The exhibition catalogue was designed by Zoë Appel.

References Braidotti, Rosi. “On putting the active back into activism.” New Formations 68, no. 1 (2010): 42-57.

Scanlan, John. On garbage. London: Reaktion books, 2005.

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This project was funded by Griffith University as part of the 2014 New Researcher Grant Scheme

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MADELYN DWIGHT

Inspiration Garden Flourishing, blossoming, nourished and devotedly grown.

We wander around the Inspiration Garden at Morningside experiencing it’s wonderful response to the increased amount of nutrients, microbes and minerals that it has been given through various means over the past five years. Worm juice, weed tea, mushroom compost, organic coffee grounds, sugar cane mulch and tree mulch used to establish a rich compost, where food scraps and grass clippings being sent by friendly neighbours are also given a place.

Madelyn Dwight Title: Inspiration Garden

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AKIRA SUTTON

Bicycle Revolution Behind the workshop at Bicycle Revolution piles of components and materials are separated and sorted, destined to recondition bikes or be disposed of responsibly.

Akira Sutton Title: Bicycle Revolution

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BFS Pedorthics Enter BFS Pedorthics from the footpath and one would be excused for thinking it were just a typical shoe retailer. Step beyond the threshold of the shopfront, however, and an operational workshop at the heart of the building reveals the primary function of the business.

Akira Sutton Title: BFS Pedorthics

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BFS Pedorthics Industrial machinery for producing custom pedorthic footwear both new and old occupy the space, among countless shoe forms, tools of the trade and storage to orchestrate export throughout the state.

Akira Sutton Title: BFS Pedorthics

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BFS Pedorthics With cheaper imported products flooding the Australian market, valuable craft skills to properly repair, maintain and custom fitted shoes have become increasingly rare. While there is undoubted value in these practices, consumers that seek a lower initial price or are unwilling to look beyond typical footwear outlets are now resigned to buying, wearing out and replacing imported, mass produced shoes rather than maintaining and living with locally made products over many years.

Akira Sutton Title: BFS Pedorthics

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DOMINIQUE CHEN

Bicycle Revolution Within life’s cycles, every part, every piece, counts. Matter can change, be transformed or re-purposed through each incarnation, pulling from the past and propelling into the future.

Perpetual machinations with a destination unknown? But amidst an unclear future what is blatantly seen, are the parts of the whole - the source (re-source) turning wheels conscientiously with a restorative and renewable steam.

Dominique Chen Title: Bicycle Revolution

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Bicycle Repair Stations A few small items of plastic and metal, suspended with potential.

Located by a coffee shop and restaurant in the heart of the city, they are there for all those willing and wishing to use. A few small items of plastic and metal. The tools for change

Dominique Chen Title: Bicycle Repair Stations

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KARA SIMPSON

The Record Exchange This is not only a space for experiencing the familiar, but the unknown, the new, and the possible too. It doesn’t disregard the old, the forgotten, or the used, it begs you to fix something, to swap something, and it requires you to take action. You wont leave until you’re satisfied, because quietly you know this is an exchange amongst friends, you know this is community.

Kara Simpson Title: The Record Exchange

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Inspiration Garden This is a space where you can experience inclusion, energy, and the excitement of what nature inspires. It is a space of passionate people, big ideas, and a ‘be local’ approach. Wandering through the organic permaculture garden a type enthusiasm occurs that can only be found in spaces like these.

Kara Simpson Title: Inspiration Garden

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EMMA HODGSON

Cobblers Two On this busy city street, it feels like time stands still. Here, a traditional craft is still practiced in the most modern of places.

This unassuming sign betrays the rich history of this particular practice and could be easily missed by the crowds of people passing by everyday.

Emma Hodgson Title: Cobblers Two

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Eilishas Shoppe This practitioner came from a family with a long history in the furniture trade. Here, you get a sense that every tool has a rich working life and through restoration, has formed a deep connection to many hundred pieces of furniture that now fill homes across Brisbane.

Emma Hodgson Title:Eilishas Shoppe

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Hallelujah The signs produced from the labour of repair are evident on the tools and equipment used by cobblers everyday. Quality is valued as is a high level of workmanship. Its easy to imagine the time, skills and pride which the Cobbler who owns this apron brings to his work.

Emma Hodgson Title: Hallelujah

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Hallelujah A wide range of repair jobs are always coming through this practice, in the busy city arcade. Some big, some small. Here for example, is the damaged leather from a ladies stiletto shoe. After the cobbler was unable to patch the shoe to his satisfaction, he now waits for a suitable replacement to arrive.

Emma Hodgson Title: Hallelujah

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Lyndsays Shoe Repair Within this shoe repair practice, the sense of community and enthusiasm is palpable, all fostered by a self taught practitioner.

On a local level, it is obvious that he not only restitches the soles of shoes using machines like this one, but holds a valuable place in the New Farm neighbourhood.

Emma Hodgson Title: Lyndsays Shoe Repair

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Mr Minnit The range of services provided by Cobblers today extends well beyond simple shoe repair. They are also key cutters, engravers and watch repairers. New knowledge and experience has been cultivated here with a younger generation of employees showing the same enthusiasm for repair as their seniors.

Emma Hodgson Title: Mr Minnit

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Northey Street City Farm Stepping into Northey Street, there is immediately a type of care that is felt. A passionate care for the environment and the community, materialised in their permaculture food gardens, education centre, shared allotments and weekly organic markets. The farm community, is made up mainly by volunteers, who work hard together at nurturing the gardens, demonstrating that strong communities not only share food but also hands on skills and knowledge.

Emma Hodgson Title: Northey Street City Farm

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Nudie Jeans In this upmarket retail area, even fashion values wear and tear.

The repair of jeans is celebrated and put on display in the shop window of this practice, emphasising the company’s strong values about reuse, recycle and reduce.

Emma Hodgson Title: Nudie Jeans

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Pearson Sellwood While we make products obsolete by cutting off their life too soon, electronic repairers work hard at mending objects and our loss of care we have for them. In this practice, dead does not necessarily mean the finite, end date of an appliance. It represents a challenge to repair and sustain material life.

Emma Hodgson Title: Pearson Sellwood

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LENNAH KUSKOFF

Blackwoods Original Pride was taken in the process of self-taught skill that facilitated the transition of undervalued material to an item with new purpose and meaning. The tools used in the practice of this skill were ones connected to memory; the hammer and the chisel once belonged to a grandfather; the ability to recognise value in a decrepit material was encouraged by a parent and; the material shares its past life in its new one. As the skill was shaped so were the hands toughened, repair making is physical mark on both the materials and the man.

Lennah Kuskoff Title: Blackwoods Original

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LUKE THOMASSON

Downes Shoes Downes shoes was originally established over 100 years ago, with Barry (pictured) taking over the business in the early 1980’s. The photo in this picture is resting on the workbench he used for 40 years and reluctantly gave up so that it could be put on display on the shop floor. Scattered with the tools and materials for shoe repair, the workbench is a strong reminder to customers of Downes Shoes commitment to repair and customer service.

Luke Thomasson Title: Downes Shoes

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Beelarong Community Garden Spread out over an acre, BCG is one of the largest and longest running community gardens in Brisbane, with an established seed bank and a core of dedicated citizens. Workshops are held in the space to help educate community and school groups in gardening practices and more equitable land use. There is a vast array of edible plants and fruit trees across the site from herbs to grape vines, all represented in the seed bank as well.

Luke Thomasson Title: Beelarong Community Garden

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MELANIE GUPTA

Jane Street Community Garden A discarded design in progress left with the potential to be reclaimed for wonders of growth at Jane St Community Garden by the riverside in West End.

Melanie Gupta Title: Jane Street Community Garden

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Beelarong Community Garden A dedicated gardener's thriving eggplants at Jane St Community Garden, where plots are rented out to members of the community who don't have the space for a garden bed at home.

Melanie Gupta Title: Beelarong Community Garden

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Paradise Street Community Garden Predominantly a healing garden, where people attend to their required hours of community service and where locals plant trees to commemorate the lives of loved ones. A small produce garden fills a few beds with herbs, native spinach and hundreds of tiny hiding tomatoes in every shade from darkest green to brightest bursting red. Children from local schools pluck the tomatoes eagerly while the Greek women across the street pull parsley by the handfuls. At Paradise St Community Garden, down the hill at the ferry end of West End.

Melanie Gupta Title: Paradise Street Commnuity Garden

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Vera Street Community Garden Located in a concealed from public view, is a community oasis by a stream of the river. Vera St Community Garden has been a thriving community hub for over a decade. Holding all kinds of workshops and forming a part in the school on the side of the streams’ curriculum.

Melanie Gupta Title: Vera Street Community Garden

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Wandering Cooks This and many more vertical gardens, along with a foot path herb garden line the exterior of the inspirational Wandering Cooks, a commercial kitchen + much more located just off Fish Lane in South Brisbane.

Melanie Gupta Title: Wandering Cooks

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Stitched Up MDA Beautiful vintage sewing machines fill this small room with a colourful fabric scrap covered floor, donated by the community so a displaced local member of the community can practise his tailoring and design skills, also offering affordable mending and alterations services. Located at Acacia Ridge Community Centre, with a weekly drop in at MDA (Multicultural Development Association) in Woolloongabba.

Melanie Gupta Title: Stitched Up MDA

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Cyberpark Technologies Tiny tools and parts for electronics repair done at this Internet cafĂŠ off Russell St in central West End.

Melanie Gupta Title: Cyberpark Technologies

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Footwear Fixers The tools of traditional craftsmanship which represent the skills that are being lost and undervalued in our throwaway culture.

At Footwear Fixers, located in the Toowong Village shopping centre.

Melanie Gupta Title: Footwear Fixers

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“We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.”

— Oscar Wilde