Hilary Cox Condron
A Shop Floor for Dummies
'Circles are whatever you make of them. All or nothing. They are living signs of flowers or spirit
They are signs of heaven, rising and falling suns and moons, the centre of the earth and universe.... God’s eye.... they tremble in my transcendental landscape'
Richard Pousette Dart
Commissioned by Kettle's Yard and working in collaboration with Circular Cambridge, I took inspiration from the work and philosophy of artist Richard Pousette-Dart to promote living with less. Pousette-Dart talked about how creating his abstract art lifted him from thinking about objects and materialism, and over 200 people did just that as we worked together during a series of pop-up workshops to create this Shop Floor For Dummies: Living a Circular Life. I encouraged participants to make marks and create their own circles representing nature, life, the planet, dreams and connections. We looked at the brass symbols Richard Pousette-Dart created – exhibited at Kettle’s Yard – and participants designed their own to represent themselves and their place in the Universe.
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The workshops – delivered at The Sustainable Fashion Festival, Kettle’s Yard and Mill Road Winter Fair – were held just before the Christmas Shopping Frenzy began with earnest. A perfect time to celebrate a friendship, between Jim Ede and the artist, which spanned over forty years of letter writing – Richard Pousette-Dart in New York and Jim here in Cambridge. Richard made Jim a brass ring (on permanent display in The House) and Jim gifted a perfect shell or pebble in return. Participants discussed the impact of consumerism and shared ideas for Circular Living gifts.Bring back letter writing and made and found gifts full of love!
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With thanks – of course - to every gorgeous one of you for adding your mark, to Ruth at Re-Imagine for supplying materials and Finlay Cox for photography.
