the beautiful ordinary

there’s beauty in the mundane. somewhere in the life of this steel post a decision was made to add the blue. maybe it’s a functional color, but the imprecise and worn character lends beauty to the gray form and contrasts the precise hole pattern.

in san francisco, the street names are stamped in concrete on the sidewalk. the letter spacing is imperfect and the depth is varied, clear signifiers that handwork was involved.

in the horse stable at franklin delano roosevelt’s home in hyde park, new york, a pale blue sink or old tub expresses a sublime utility with generous curves and well-worn parts.

the window frame has been scraped of paint to reveal a dappled skin of galvanized steel. the original material is honest in its age and essence.

the recessed spigot, shadowed in a rectangular form, becomes a small shrine as if to call attention to the sanctity of water. of course, someone was simply protecting the extruding spout and it’s tamper-proof spigot.

if you look and imagine, you’ll find the beautiful ordinary everywhere.