Main Drain
©2005 Craig Ashby
Digital Photograph

Main Drain is one of those Craig looks up at messy pipes shots. Main Drain can be seen as vulgar or a sign of exhaustion due to depression. The two places my mind oscillates between.

I have also become obsessed with how things are put together and then fall apart. These superstructures of pipes that get so filthy and all these specially made wires and hangers that don’t seem to hold up. It’s like we are over decorating things rather than just making them right the first time.

I find this with most design. How things are overly designed and not easy to keep clean. Not really useful for the task that they were built for.

Then the thing breaks and we fix it with DIY solutions. Now this is where it gets pretty. Duct tape holding a reality together. Plastic and bolts and wire stitches.

But it is only pretty in theory. It doesn’t soothe the OCD perfectionist in my mind that wants everything new and perfect. Is that how they constantly sell us the new? By feeding that beast of an inner perfectionist?