A Wild Thing, Hilde Bouchez, Art Paper Editions. I think this was the first book I read that made me really think about what it meant to be an object, and what it meant to make an object, and the life that exists in every thing. I am also a huge fan of Donna Haraway’s Making Kin and this feels a bit like an object-oriented version. It’s important, as a maker, to understand the value and spirit of the materials and objects we put into the world and to find in that understanding the absolute importance of the whole life of an object, cradle to grave, so that things interact symbiotically in the planetary systems we often ignore. A disposable thing has to truly be able to decompose, to render itself back into the earth. A permanent material like concrete or plastic requires care and longevity in its use.. I try my best to understand that not just from a position of sustainability, but also of care and respect for the spirits of things. (Another favorite is Latour’s We Have Never Been Modern).

Java Container, Enzo Mari, 1969-1970. It is so hard to decide. But, I have always loved the Java Container designed by Enzo Mari. It’s just so smart, and so beautiful through its genius. And, although it is a plastic container, it is made to last and to be kept and cared for, it respects the high grade materiality of plastic.