Hardware Stores

Part of the process that is integral to make art is choosing the materials that will allow you to have the desired outcome. This comprises not only materials utilized to make pieces, but also the tools used to manipulate the parts that comprise the piece.  While a large majority of my works are made with recycled parts from various other items, there are some materials that I purchase fresh, right off the shelf.  A place that I hold dear and dear for this activity is…the hardware store.  I love hardware stores! They are abundant play lands and provide a cornucopia of bits and pieces destined to become art.  They are all about finding new ways to utilize things that are supposed to live a life other than what I have planned for them.  Hardware stores are places of discovery. Even the simplest tube in the plumbing department can come out as a component in a piece of my sculpture. There are about three, maybe four different kinds of hardware stores.  They each have their own value and appeal

But the bottom line is my favorite: the old time hardware store.  It has existed forever. Usually, family owned from generation to generation, with wooden floors that are not quite level through years of wear.  The vast majority of items are loose; so you can feel their weight and see their color and shine. Just being able to still see and feel nuts, bolts, and miscellaneous stuff in your hands is lovely.  You can even view it without the benefit of some form fitting diabolical plastic cover that you need a tin snip and arms of steel to open.  The people working at the stores usually have been there forever.  The whole structure possesses a soul which permeates the building. I can wander throughout the place for a good while, just seeing and forming new images and connections for new pieces.  I end up buying something nearly every time just because the experience is so great.

Thanks for reading,

Nanci

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