Mending is a philosophy. And a measurement of value. If something must be mended, it means it has been used, thus is useful. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to look at much of what we own as being something disposable. We show no affection for what we have and quite easily throw things away when they become obsolete or broken. Or simply no longer interesting to us. And it seems as if we’ve transfered this attitude towards people and our society as well.
Reparation is a form of beauty.
Mended Stockings by Dorothea Lange ,Photographer
Mended jumper and tom of holland
The Visible Mending Programme: making and re-making
Repairs at The Street of Gold
Even better would be to look at mending as a way of creating…
YOU MUST SEE THIS! Colourful Lamps Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles…In the Summer of 2011, industrial designer Alvaro Catalán de Ocón travelled to Colombia, to be part of a project spearheaded by psychologist and activist Hélène Le Drogou, focusing on the plastic waste that is contaminating the Colombian Amazon and the reuse of discarded PET bottles. Combining local resources with ancient artisan textile techniques Alvaro transformed mass produced objects with a short and specific lifespan into one of a kind functional products.
It is also a tutorial as to how to make these fantastic lamps from PET bottles.
Tin Box Repair:I loved this repair on some doors in the South of France, and more of these later as it had many beautiful repairs.
Flattery… flattened objects
Repaired drainpipe, Jaap van der Feer.
At Remarkable Repairs, We received over 60 entries from all over the world in our Most Remarkable Repair Contest. They are all listed here. Do find yourself inspired by these clever repairs and pick your favourite.
Sunday 30 August, during the last day of Platform21 = Repairing, we announced who made the most remarkable repair according to our jury.
REPAIR IS BEAUTIFUL began with the idea of solving frustration. A broken object delivers frustration because it doesn’t achieve its functionality, but the same principle applies to a broken system that caused the financial crisis, which has affected our lives since 2008.
Repaired wooden scoop via Mondays but, unfortunately, with no reference to its origin
Similar but not the same + Matthias Merkel Hess’ kintsugi
Martin Margiela’s broken porcelain-plate necklace
OOPS!…When I unpacked the bag of broken bits, only one plate had survived – my W H Auden poem plate – more of which later. But on seeing my pile of broken crocks the group became animated, they fell on the pieces re-arranging back into plates and all said they preferred them broken, because now I have proper mending to consider not just simulated, contrived and controlled versions.
Lego bricks used to repair crumbling walls
+ another Lego mended wall
Mended screen, This week’s post looks at things broken, repaired and/or mended and the beauty of such.
Still more: Nina Katchadourian: The Mended Spiderweb Series + Reduce, Reuse, Repair
+ Mending socks…. Blah! +
Previous related ART FOR HOUSWIVES posts: Mend & Repair + Mending as a form of Aesthetics.
P.S. Thanks to Laurie for this link: Mended Trash Bin!
Pull Up A Chair then Fix It + More + Modernist makeshift chairs, afghanistan + Makeshift mobile food cart.
P.P.S. To Mend
© Cynthia Korzekwa 2013
The Narrative Within 
Damn – I don’t visit this site as often as I should – and every time I do I feel like I have missed so many important things! Keep up the wonderful work!
Thanks Rachel! Hope you will be coming back soon! By the way, like your Hero Child project you posted on FB!
Thanks – more to come on that subject, I have a session booked in with two more diminutive but powerful models in the morning…
Stupendous and beautiful, and utterly inspiring!!
Millie Grazie Clare! By the way, love the progress you are making on your bed!
Very nice post… pictures and choice of items. The lego picture is not necessarily my favorite, but it made me think “wow”! So simple and ingenious. I love those innovative surprises! I also like to see how we can mend all sorts of materials. But of course, I love those textile repairs… Thank you Cynthia for the interesting links!
Thanks Marie-Josèe! By the way, enjoyed looking at the pics regarding your food explorations (http://lichenparticules.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/art-et-exploration-culinaires/) …too bad my French is very limited.
Thank you so much Cynthia! Grazie mille! : ) Too bad, indeed… I tried to find a good translator to add to my blog, a couple of months ago, but no app did exactly what I was looking for. I don’t feel like translalting all my content either, it would take too much time. Maybe I’ll figure a good way out of that dilemma one day… thank you again!
I found this wonderful mended trash bin while walking my dog.
Thanks Laurie! I posted the link in a p.s. for this article.
Precioso articulo! Muchas gracias
Mille Grazie, Marisa!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
Thank you for writing about something the world, well much of the US anyway, seems to have forgotten in so many ways
Thanks for commenting Pat!
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mANY THANKS for visiting from so far away!
Loved this report – thank you!
Reblogged this on art for housewives .
me encanto.. siempre interesante.. Gracias Big Mamma!
sei sempre dolce, sei una Caramellina! besitos
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I love imperfection. Thank you for the post.
Thanks for commentingJan…..just saw the wooden spoons posted on your blog…lovely!
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