The Silent Invader

Every day their numbers increase, quietly invading our homes, offices and public spaces.

We seldom stop to determine their origin or how they got here, but we live with them amongst us as if they are part of our environment.

It is probable that their numbers already exceed that of the human population of our earth, with more arriving everyday.

Our reluctance to recognise their existence, has seen their numbers thrive. Their integration into our lives is complete, given we have become so used to them that we now would actually miss them should they go.

The Silent Invader, master of disguise, has surreptitiously become relied upon to satisfy us in so many ways that we could never let them leave.Even though, as their numbers multiply to the point of no return, we photograph them and acknowledge their splendour.

They are not to be trusted as they have made our lives soft and pleasurable, giving us less and less motivation to do many of the things that keep us healthy and vital.

I regret having to expose this invader, it is with sadness that apparently they have not been noticed up till now, such is the comeliness of them. They are generally well accepted and because we gain so much from having them about us, we have not realised their increase.

What is ‘The Silent Invader’?

THE SEAT

It takes many forms such as; the chair, the sofa and the stool are just some of them.

But the fascinating thing is that the numbers are extraordinary!

I counted, in my own home and studio, 58 seats of various types.
That means if 57 more people came to visit me at any one time, I could seat them all. How crazy is that?
Our home is not large, in fact it would be described as average size given the desire to build hilariously large homes, as we tend to do today. But that’s another matter and I will discuss this at another time.

58 SEATS

Now, I am not a greedy person and my penchant for design does not stretch so far that I have a collection of seats, but 58 seats is just outrageous.

In my street there are homes that could house 100 of the beasts, and that may well be under-estimating.

Where I live, all of the usual public spaces exist, gardens/ theatres/ shops/halls/etc; so imagine if you will the number of SEATS that lie dormant at any one time throughout that network.

Some of the larger theatres could seat thousand at a time. This is not just my home town it is around the world. Where will it stop?

I challenge any one of you wonderful readers to count the number of SEATS (ie: things to sit on) around your home, I am sure you will be surprised how much resource funding and material, goes into just this area.

I am seriously beginning to wonder should my new(est) career change be one of moving to manufacture SEATS. It seams that everybody wants them and everybody need them.

My next move will be to count kitchen items. How much is really needed?
At the risk of sounding a tiny bit crazy, this can be both enlightening and exhilarating by providing the opportunity to appraise the needs of a home.
In an age where resources are on the lips of most thinking people, it seems to me that to begin the understanding of what product can be utilised in what way, could lead to massive savings for the average home.

An extension of this thinking goes to vehicles and their usage.
The number of vehicles that lie quietly in garages throughout the Western World, must be quite astounding. Imagine the saving to communities if vehicles reduced in their number? More space for people and natural environment.

So my interest in SEATS, whilst it is fun and strange, veils a deeper interest in utilisation and the effects of ownership on the community and the environment. I am all for freedom to own and use anything that you may wish, but I struggle with ownership for ownership sake.

My, now clear, understanding of the number of SEATS in my own home, speaks volumes for the stupidity of that as an environmental question.
So does the vacant areas for seating elsewhere and begs the question of architects and designers world-wide; ‘How can we produce spaces and equipment that can co-exist and provide their own, individual qualities and utilisation?’

Try this at your own home and don’t be afraid to be harsh! After all, most of the things you will be counting, do not have feelings.

Bristlehound 2014