“Becoming a producer subverts the consumerist paradigm.”
Part studio, part shop, Examined Objects is a space that facilitates making as a political act. The space consists of three main areas: the ‘shop,’ which houses the clothing and other textiles I have made; the ‘studio,’ which is centered around a large communal work table; and the ’salon,’ which consists of a comfortable area for reading, working or discussion. Within the multipurpose space, we are able to practice and model alternative producer-consumer relationships as well as share personal experiences with and histories of making.
The most valuable things you can have in our society are an education and a skill. Historical trends of increased production, devaluation of skilled labor and the shift from a culture of thrift to a consume-and-dispose model have all worked in concert to create a condition of powerlessness and a widespread lack of quality in our material culture. Today, making or repairing something is an inherently political act. By refusing to dispose of the old and purchase the new, the maker asserts their independence from the vicious economic cycle of constant growth - an economic model with an extremely uncertain future.
By creating and fostering spaces and communities which promote re-skilling and non-monetary systems of exchange we undermine prevailing capitalist systems which are inherently oppressive and begin to build a more sustainable and humanistic future.
