‘It’s a Part of Me’ – The evocative potential of our possessions and surroundings

Abstract

You are moving house. With dread you line up the cardboard boxes that you’ve salvaged from the nearest grocery store, trying to will all of your possessions in to them in the hope that you will be spared the time, effort and pain of having to physically pack up everything yourself. Inevitably, with resignation you begin packing, finding that the further you delve into your wardrobe and bookshelves the more objects you find that you had forgotten you had. Pieces that you haven’t used or even seen in years. The little bits of paper with scribbles on them, the shells you picked up on that walk on the beach, the random box that you ‘might use in the future’ and of course the favourites - the pieces that you could simply not leave behind you, the favourite mug, photo, pen, scarf… the list continues. But ask yourself why, why are ...