9.Photograph 29
Like actual agony for perfectionists. With a strong sense for symmetry and order, this picture most certainly depicts a scenario that would make anyone shudder down their spine. The picture most likely shows a modest but clearly off-kilter home remodelling effort or design decision. Maybe it’s a tiled floor where one tile is slightly off-aligned, a wallpaper design that doesn’t quite line up at the seams, or a row of cabinet handles set at quite varying heights. The photographer has brilliantly caught this almost-but-not-quite-right situation, stressing the narrow line separating ideal from irritation in house repairs. This image might be the outcome of a hurried job by a less-than-perfect contractor, a DIY project gone wrong, or just the inevitable flaws in any human effort. Most people would overlook these little differences, but for perfectionists they would be a continual, agonising presence. The picture reminds us humorously of the sometimes fruitless search for perfect living environment. It asks viewers to consider their own degree of acceptance for flaws and maybe find some solace in the natural “humanness” of small errors. After all, these little imperfections sometimes become the delightful eccentricities that really make a place seem like a home.
10.Photograph 30
One wonder: why? This picture most certainly shows a house renovation or design decision so confusing that observers would be perplexed. The picture most likely shows a choice that violates reason, pragmatism, and maybe even fundamental physics. It might be anything from a door put in the midst of a room with no apparent use to a stairway straight into a wall to maybe a sink positioned in a completely unsuitable spot like a bedroom or hallway. The photographer has caught this instant of sheer uncertainty, beckoning viewers to participate in a group “What were they thinking?” The ridiculousness of the scene begs doubts about the choice taken to produce this outcome. Was the homeowner’s and the contractor’s communication broken? An ill-directed effort at avant-garde house design? Alternatively the outcome of a renovation project gone out of hand? Whatever the reason, the picture reminds us humorously that not all ideas for house remodelling are excellent ones and that occasionally the most crucial question we can ask ourselves during a restoration is just “Why?” It exhorts viewers to approach their own home renovations with a fair dosage of critical thought and to never undervalue the need of challenging unusual ideas before putting them into action.
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