Records save the past reality from the vanishing of fleeting time.
Maybe it is right this will of cherishing and preserving the value of the past which animates the photography of artists Paul Harnden & Stuart Piktin. As Harnden‘s clothes embody the technical know-how of the old English craftmanship tradition, the videos and pictures realised in collaboration with Piktin seem to capture stories, memories and techniques which otherwise would be forgotten. Despite the nostalgic feeling, their works are not just an elegy of times gone by, but more like a predicting echo which whispers from remote eras meditating on our present and future. The exhibithion held at the historic niche luxury store Degli Effetti in the heart of Rome few weeks ago perfectly summed up this concepts, showcasing a wide selection of images from the twelve sisters to the ancient coppice stools series. This last one portrays the craggy beauty of coppice stools. Coppicing is an ancient form of woodland management method where a tree is repetitvely cut at ground level on a regular cycle. This allows shoots to regrow from the main stool, thus providing a continuous supply of wood without the need to replant. Each coppice stool has it’s own odd and unique personality, sometimes reacing immense ages and becoming immortal; timeless as Harnden‘s designs are.
Following the launch of the artists’ new shortcut Let them believe in Paris, Degli Effetti has also organised a private screening of the movie at Cinema Dei Piccoli in Rome to celebrate its long-lasting friendship with the designer.
