Philosophical Crazy Paving

Philosophical crazy paving, it may sound far fetched or maybe even “out-there” but the art of making something more beautiful from after it has been initially broken is an ancient and revered technique. The philosophical implications to the eastern school of Kintsugi (Gold joining) can reach as far as the mind may care to wander, however the practical implications make a meal out of the notion of recycling or even upcycling. Making something better than what it used to be, after it has been made inadequate for initial purpose through breaking or obseletion, has always been a worthwhile activity and requires skill of thought and hand in order to achieve properly.


Fixing vases and pottery with liquid gold to fill the cracks has been a long established skill and artisan trade in Japan. Artist Rachel Sussman, author of “The Oldest Living Things in the World”, has taken this honourable and established traditional skill and made it part of the landscape of the outdoors.


We all know that pavements get cracks, and with all kinds of superstitions around stepping on or over them, it's something we pay attention to. Maybe it's a good idea to watch our step, and they make useful prompts to do so. Whatever their appeal to us and children alike, filling them in with gold has made something rather beautiful out of what would perhaps look like a standard street walkway.  As nature creates the pattern, it can be coloured in. A symbiosis of talent, one chaotic, naturally forming over time, and one aesthetic, carfully considered and applied. 



By decorating the scars which adorn our landscape with something that is prized and valuable, we're showing that even the things that didn't work out right can be valuable, and with a bit of effort, can be made to shine through the normality of everything else.  

Image Source: Hyperallergic.com

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