Object meaning

posted November 7th 2010.

-from Towards Meaningfulness by Jérémy Couture.

Despite their important physical role of furnishing our world, objects are also vehicles of meanings. They work as physical witnesses (observers) that trigger memories within us. In that sense, they are participants of our experiences in our quest for meaning. They work as referrals mirroring back different facets of our lives in all different time periods (past, present, future). The objects' arrangement through space and time (taken as moments of occurrence), is deepening and representing our experiences and consequently our identity: what is seen by researchers as the 'extended self'.

One objective by creating for the meaningful is to be able to come up with meanings that would transcend their 'container'; in this case, objects. This phenomenon can happen while the object is owned and when the object is discarded. In both cases, the object's materiality becomes a second feature. Most of the time at this stage, the object's appearance begins to reach to the user's level of acceptance; a level where the user embraces the object's qualities and imperfections. Transcending meaning over materiality can be achieved by aiming at the humanistic/social/spiritual rather than the rational/functional/utilitarian. This notion is obvious because when there is no more materiality, it becomes really hard to apply function and use. Therefore, the rational/functional/utilitarian is suppressed as soon as the object is discarded. Thus, we should strive for better combinations of the rational/functional/utilitarian and the humanistic/social/spiritual.

The object's meaning transcendence is explained in others words here by Stuart Walker: 'However, we can find delight, not in the objects themselves, but in their potentially enriching and virtuous meanings–what they embody in terms of individual or collective creativity and the provision of healthy, meaningful employment; personal accomplishment; and equitable and ethical work practices. A functional object can become the culmination, physical manifestation and symbol of "good" works–in its intention, design, making, use and disposal.'

The beauty about meanings is that they are intangible and are able to 'inhabit' matter (people and objects). They are volatile and have the possibility to emerge. It is the creator's challenge to direct them towards matter (people and objects) and make them evolve within it.