by Ben t. Matchstick
Can anyone deny that society as it is produces tons of waste. But why waste it? We long for the day when industry produces nothing but useful byproducts. Until that day never comes, reclaiming the waste of industry is an obligation, not only for artists, but for upright citizens . Cardboard Teck does not glorify or promote waste, but cardboard as a material is “the bomb”. Somewhere between paper and wood is cardboard- strong, light, flexible, combustible, degradable. At the Cardboard Teck Instantute, we strive for advancement of the art and science of cardboard for the same reason that a climber takes on Mt. Everest. It is here and there and here and there. A material such as cardboard has only seen a glimpse of its potential, and no other medium behaves like cardboard. Its aesthetic rejects and redefines the sexy value system of the legitimate art and object dealer. This industrial consumer culture system is physically unable to digest, commodify, or appropriate cardboard that has been re imagined against its original use. The exposed reality of the materials, and the unapologetic use of waste currently defines a category of artists and inventors that are stubbornly opposed to a system of easy and clean saleable items. One cannot appropriate cardboard because it has always been in the common hand. To judge cardboard is to judge the interior decorating choices of millions of street people of the industrialized nations. Thus, if a critic were to condemn the use of cardboard to hell, Cardboard Teck would respond: Welcome to Hell. Cardboard was born in the furnaces of industrialized hell. Now make a choice cut into CTi. Waste time! Down with Duct Tape! Go Razorsharx! The Cardboard Teck Instantute is now offering a community workspace at the ReStore on 186 River Rd. in Montpelier. To find out about teaching or participating in workshops dealing with cardboard, reclaimed waste, or any other craft, contact Ben t. Matchstick at cardboardteck@gmail.com Free workshops all day on Saturday June 16th. Look for CTi and the ReStore together at last in the July 3rd parade in Montpelier.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2007 at 4:28 am and is filed under Perspectives, Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will be moderated but will appear as soon as humanly possible.