Monday, July 4, 2011

Red Letter Day


I hope I never end up on 'Hoarders' being dragged frothing out of my studio with boxes full of old Homes and Gardens. I think in a previous life I was a magpie as I'm so attracted to shiny things. The above image shows one of my random purchases (two actually if you count the Chinese altar table). The British Royal insignia came from a demolished post office and I'm trying to find a door frame at home which can eventually support it. Weighing five kilos per piece this cast metal symbol of a fading empire attracts a lot of admiration. While I'm not a card-carrying member of the Republican Movement I'm also not a rabid Royalist. This is what's commonly referred to as a disclaimer!

One of my former staff (a man from Northern Ireland) was asked to dust this one day and took particular umbrage at the request. Upon discussing this he revealed that he felt extremely uncomfortable cleaning this emblem. It clearly demonstrated to me the power of 'branding' and it's associated political and religious guises. Small wonder there are dissertations ad infinitum on symbols and interpretation in libraries and online. The appeal for me was twofold; firstly the font and colour are very imposing, and secondly the crown gives a strange sense of assuredness. Maybe this was the intention that Australia Post had... to make you believe that anything you sent throughout the Empire would actually arrive on time and at the specified address. One can but dream. 

Photo: Brian Tunks (by iPhone)

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