Raw materials are beautiful
Appreciating the elemental aesthetic
Friday again! This weekend, I hope you take something raw and make. Or simply appreciate it for what it is. Whatever you do, please create something wonderful for yourself and others. ~JRC
As I write, I am sitting next to a small slab of raw steel. This simple piece of metal, 18" x 18" and 1/4" thick, is unfinished; it has no rust-preventive covering like zinc. And it’s not painted. Instead, the steel’s natural metallic grey is exposed.
While unfinished, the raw steel does have random darker splotches on it. It looks as if the plate was splashed with water while still hot, but I am not sure. These swirling clouds of unknown origin add an almost organic patina to the material. It thus visually presents a slight contradiction; the hard, cold steel is somehow warmer, draped in such cosmetic imperfections.
I think it's exquisite.
Seeing materials in their naked state, like this steel, is rather uncommon. Instead, coated, painted, or refined is the norm. Raw materials are susceptible to the elements: iron rusts and wood rots. Coatings and finishes protect these vulnerable substances from the sun and rain. Unfortunately, they also hide the grace raw materials possess.
I love designs that embrace rather than hide the underlying materials. "Weathered steel" - a fancy way of calling rusted metal anything but rusted - is one such example. The orange-brown of the oxidation pairs well with unadorned wood. And aluminum, a metal that doesn't rust noticeably, also makes a bold statement when used in designs. Seeing its muted silver tones lends a quality of nimble strength.
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Some raw materials exist in plain sight but are easily overlooked. Stone is one such example; it's everywhere, and yet we seldom take notice. Chalky limestone, speckled granite, jagged basalt - rock is as diverse as any group of materials. Take a moment to admire a stone wall or stop and examine crushed rock along a path. Residing in some stones are the beginnings of other materials like steel and even glass. As such, the beauty in rock is unparalleled. I'd love to take a journey one day, exploring nothing but geology. It's an untapped wealth of aesthetic pleasure, hidden in plain sight.
Even manufactured materials like plastics have an undeniable charm. Uniform in color, vats of molten polymer swirl and mix. Immense bins of plastic pellets wait to be molded into something else. These space-age textures with subtle luster are both appealing and unsettling. I know I should hate them, with all the environmental degradation plastics bring. But the unique aesthetic of plastic exists, no matter what you think of their darker side. It’s not unlike a shimmering oil slick, I suspect.
Plywood too. While not "raw" in the unrefined sense, this versatile building block is often considered structural rather than aesthetic. But left exposed, the layered edges add visual complexity without overwhelming. It's an engineered story but a story nonetheless. Pairing it with stone or metal can be as harmonious as blue paired with orange. Created instead of born, plywood is a fantastic material.
And so it goes with raw (and some not-so-raw) materials. Yes, they are the building blocks of all we create. But in their natural state, their value is more than what they'll become. Said worth resides not in function, but in the fundamental nature of what they are.
Materials. Their essence - their existence - is beautiful.
Until next time.
JRC