If you think people collect physical objects and hold on to them solely because their looks appeal, think again. Objects hold memories of people, places and events – stories – and the objects are simply prompts for these stories.
It’s no surprise that many memoir writing courses start with an exercise to write about a beloved object. Memoirists and family historians recognise that it’s not the physical object that’s important, rather it is the story behind it. How was the object acquired, who owned it, where was it stored in the home? Was the object passed through generations, was it a gift for a special occasion, or what memories does it hold of the giver?
I’ve always known that objects prompt stories but, after viewing Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things TV series, I appreciate how deeply we value those prompts. It’s the stories we value, not only the physical objects.
Tony Armstrong travelled throughout Australia, visiting places where particular objects prompted personal, and sometimes traumatic, stories. Oh, the stories. I won’t reveal any of them because you need to experience their presentation as layers of memory are peeled away. All I can say is that it’s an emotional experience for viewers, as well as the participants.
I think most of us all have a thing, a physical object, which evokes a memory. For me, it’s certain pairs of earrings. When I gaze at them, I am transported back to either the place I bought them or how I felt when I bought them. I stockpile memories – do you?
Tony Armstrong’s Extra-Ordinary Things is on ABC iview for Australian viewers. There is an accompanying exhibition at National Museum Australia until 13 October.