HANDY FOLDING LADDER

MATERIALS: Ash, Steel  

DIMENSIONS: 22"D x 19"W x 44"H (Folds Flat to 3"D)  

The Shakers equated order, cleanliness, and neatness with the divine, and the chores required to achieve those ideals had the capacity for worship. Communal life and the specialization of labor enabled the Shakers to design and produce objects that were uncommon in their specificity of purpose and quality of manufacture. I’m drawn to the devotional craft the Shakers invested in the things they made and their ritualization of the tasks of daily life. I’ve tried to create a similar, albeit somewhat absurd elevation of the mundane, juxtaposing those spiritual aspirations with the kind of souvenir interpretation that exists in a gift-shop’s-view of this rich and idiosyncratic culture. Modeled on archetypical plastic garden rakes, windshield ice-scrapers, folding step ladders, and Procter & Gamble's Swiffer, the simple tools I’ve created are intended to provide familiar utility while allowing for both more mindful and ridiculous use.

HANDY SWEEPER  

MATERIALS: Oak, Felt, Brass, Rubber, Embroidered Microfiber Cloth  

DIMENSIONS: 11"W x 5"D x 46"H

HANDY SCRAPER  

MATERIALS: Oak, Polycarbonate

DIMENSIONS: 7"w x 4"D x 27”h

ULTRA SERIES

MATERIALS: 

Broom: Carbon Fibre, Broom Corn, Twin

Mop: Carbon Fibre, Cotton Yarn, Twine

Duster: Carbon Fibre, Ostrich Feathers

DIMENSIONS: 

Broom: 10"L X 3"W X 54"H

Mop: 4"W X 65"H

Duster: 14"W X 10"H

Traditional household cleaning tools – a corn broom, a cotton mop and a feather duster – are upgraded with extraordinarily lightweight and durable carbon fiber handles. Contrasting with the typical, natural materials associated with these tools, the highly engineered synthetic carbon fiber hints at the potential for enhanced performance. However, users might be disappointed (or perhaps relieved) to find these tools to be quite ordinary to use.

HANDY SHOVEL

MATERIALS: Oak, polyethylene

DIMENSIONS: 18"D x 3"W x 45"H

The Handy Shovel offers familiar utility in a familiar package. Following in the reliable pattern of common mass-produced models, the iconic qualities of a snow shovel are preserved while the details and form are refined, encouraging pride in one’s work, appreciation for the tool and the potential to experience beauty while shoveling snow.