Ordinary Ornamentation
What does ornamentation look like today? Where does it exist? And who decides what counts as ornament?
This project began by noticing traditional architectural ornament across London - now sitting alongside takeaway signs and contemporary shopfronts. Ornamentation seemed to have shifted. No longer bound by historic rules and order, instead appearing in unexpected, overlooked spaces.
This led to discovering subtle, unnoticed forms of ‘ordinary’ ornamentation. From embossed toilet paper patterns to intricate prints inside security envelopes, these functional but decorative elements challenge the boundaries of what ornamentation can be.
By engaging with a community of collectors who celebrate these unnoticed details, the project evolved into a reimagining of contemporary ornamentation.
The project challenges our understanding of ornamentation beyond traditional boundaries allowing ‘low-value’ ornamentation to be experienced in new ways. These found patterns are archived, catalogued, and reinterpreted on ceramic tiles, plates, and in publications, giving temporary, unnoticed ornament a new permanence. The toilet paper embosser, engraved with a V&A ornamental print, highlights the contrast between disposable decoration and the ‘high-value' ornament preserved in museums.
Ordinary Ornamentation confronts how we define, value, and perceive ornamentation today, and explores what symbols and patterns shape our contemporary ornament.
Collectors:
Dan Schreck - abstractcollage.com
Ethan Hulbert – ethanjhulbert.org / www.perplexia.art
James Folta – www.jamesfolta.com