Activity: Beauty in Everyday Objects

Many objects in the Fielding Collection are everyday things that you might find in someone’s home. Can a can opener or a chair be as beautiful as an oil painting? Jonathan and Karin Fielding acquired many of these items because they found them to be inspirational and unique while also functional. What makes a functional object beautiful? Is it the way it looks – lots of detail, sparse detail, bold colors, muted colors? Is it the way that it is designed to function – a clever solution to a problem, a smooth and pleasing movement? The definition of beauty is a personal one. Your tastes make you, you.  

• Find two practical, everyday objects in your home that you find beautiful in some way.
• Create your own definition of beauty. Explain why you think these objects fit that definition.
• How do these objects make you feel when you use/look at them?
• What does your definition of beauty say about you?