Cardboard

Photo courtesy Flickr

London art student Noemie Goudal’s recent work (see yesterday’s blog Visqueen) features an installation paved with flattened cardboard boxes.

It’s a really cool look, like floor shingles, and undoubtedly one hell of a fire hazard.

Some years ago, a Japanese immigrant family opened a teriyaki restaurant close to my gym. I was captivated by the care and elegance of the traditional woodwork they installed in an old and ordinary commercial space, by the potted plants that voiced the family’s old-country aesthetic, and by the free cups of tea. Most interesting was the mat in front of the kitchen sink: they used a flattened cardboard box for a disposable cushioned work surface.

I tried this in front of the kitchen sink at home, and found it as serviceable and convenient as the one in the restaurant must have been. The never-ending argument between convenience and propriety landed on the side of propriety, though, and I opted for high-tech nylon mats that were expensive and hard to wash. This time, I don’t have anything to prove, and thanks to Goudal, I’m going for cool.

Put non-skid lace under the mat and tape down the edges for safety.

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