The humble clothes peg is a daily, mundane, banal object, which we all seem to posses, though we rarely look at. They function as silent servants. An object simutaneously basic and useful, it performs many functions in addition beyond its original intent. It can be used to hang, hold and fasten and endless number of materials, making it as versatile as the paper clip.
One would have expected the pegs to disappear, with the appearance of clothes drying machines. On the contrary, the number and variety of clothes pegs seems only to be growing.
The Cloths Peg is a simple object - usually made of one to three parts - simple and with a clear defined purpose. For that reason it is fascinating to observe the endless variations on such a simple basic concept. The whole issue of the relationship between form and function, user and use, style, shape, adornment, engineering, production, technical and structural solutions - all can be observed, looking at clothes pegs.
Various reasons can be observed for the different variations in form and functional interpretations - it is exciting to see how many variations can be generated for such a minimal structure - a lesson in the evolution of products, a lesson in change as inherent human need, as well as the need to interpret, to innovate, to say the same differently.
The exhibit notes some of the categories of change or variations, such as visual typology, style, and attempts to "uplift" the product and its design, structure, mechanical principles, materials, functional interpretations (such as "locking" pegs), and cultural reflections, such as the Chinese bamboo peg. This one bears a family name on it, to distinguish it in a communal space.
While the collection is impressive, they are always looking for more additions. If you have a distinctive type of clothes peg from your own culture, feel free to send a sample:
Yaacov Kaufman ID Department - Bezalel Mount Scopus Campus P.O. Box 24046 Jerusalem 91240 Israel clothpeg-at-gmail-dot-com
The exhibit will be open on June 16, 23 and 30 of 2006, from 12:00 to 15:00 each day.
Stuart Constantine is a co-founder of Core77. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, three children, a collection of bikes and guitars.
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300 Clothes Pegs
I am looking for a clip (peg) that hangs over the line and allows you to hang a coat hanger on to it .
It would be greatly appreciated if you can find such a thing ,we have the item hear but are unable to find the manufacture.
Cheers Gad, Yoav and Yaacov
thank you
mary
thank you
clarissa
P.S. I wonder where the word peg originated???
Paul Johnson.
I am looking to purchase some distinctly different clothes pegs for my own personal use. We live in an apartment block where it seems that everyone has the same pegs and at the end of the week/month our washing basket seems to be full of the broken or oldest pegs. We need some pegs that we know will belong only to us. Can you help me out as to where i might purchase such pegs. We are in Sydney, Australia
Kindest Regards
Leisa Bekkers
http://www.arcoweb.com.br/design/design69.asp
I apologyse the content is in portuguese, but you will surely understand by seeing the pictures.
i'd like to see the exhibit
yudit