On a cool, rainy day in March a group of English teachers from many locations met to explore 'The Ideal Home' exhibited at Penrith Regional Gallery. A mixture of functional objects from the early 20th century such as irons, a ceramic mixing bowl and whisk, a cooler, canisters for tea/coffee/sugar and other pantry items appealing for their utilitarian nature contrasted those designed with beauty in mind - an Italian coffee set in chrome and angles, wallpaper samples of 1970s psychedelic green swirls, mushroom like couches in lime green. Items from converged in the exhibition to connect functionality with design. 
The canisters caught my eye. They were so similar to the ones kept by my great grandmother and younger sister whose house is filled with the simple beauty of functional vintage pieces. The clean lines and materials so different to what we would find in a store today are intriguing and captivating. The stories evoked by objects amazes me - we often don't think twice about our household objects and purchase out of necessity or availability. But these items fill our lives and inhabit our stories becoming part of our present and eventually our legacy. We will be known by the objects we keep and those who think of us fondly will be reminded of our time in the world by what surrounded us. 
Student work was exhibited in the gallery as well. Images in a stunning kaleidoscope were homes from the Penrith area reflected and refracted into a beautiful cacophony of suburbia, again highlighting the beauty of the functional. There was also a video installation featuring student answers to the prompt, 'Home is...' which captured what home can be for individuals and this idea was also extended in the video installation in Ancher House which detailed the stories of individuals living in public housing. The darker aspects of home were explored in the commissioned artworks in Lewers House - feelings of entrapment, violence, waste, and the expression of toxic masculinity. These works were a stark and provocative contrast.When running a Writing Teachers meet up I know that many of the activities the teachers try throughout the day will likely end up in the classroom - especially in the Stage 6 classroom where several of the senior courses have an increased focus on the writing process. It is powerful to think that the objects in students' lives may be worthwhile subjects to write about - inspiration is everywhere.
The Ideal Home Writing Prompts
The Ideal Home Penrith Regional Gallery Catalogue
These are always great days! Using the art gallery as a stimulus works so well for creating poetry :)
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