shed research

books on ideas about activities to do in a shed.... like the fact the top one states it starts with everyday objects..possible photo-illusions experiments?


tony, winner of shed of the year, 2007, (photo from site too)

ok, wow! sheds, sheddies, shedites, all so fascinating and such a wide-ranging thing- from a forgotten storage space where broken or unloved objects come to rest, to a hive of eccentric activity...

so here's some initial findings- links online to help me start organising my head which is a whirlwind of a crazy place of many thoughts....

ok, some initial history of sheds first, sheds now and then article, which lists many uses of sheds;

• To store tools
• To keep garden supplies
• To make a greenhouse
• To keep pets
• To keep farm animals
• To store lawn equipment
• To serve as a root cellar
• To work on an antique car or motorcycle
• To keep your collection of [you name it]
• To store your trash
• To house whatever no longer fits in your garage
• To create a poolside cabana/bar/changing room
• To provide a playhouse for your kids
• To give yourself a private sanctuary
• To store your sports equipment

some of these terms seem a little odd, however, i would add to this, home office, workroom. i like the private sanctuary, overspill storage site, not so sure about the poolside cabana idea haha;)

many of these match to my previous idea about dens, inventors paradise, closet.

i'm also interested in not only 'shed' as a noun but also having dual meaning- as a verb;
shedding tears, shed load of laughs, shedding light on the matter, shedding skin....and this use of shed certainly implies a transformation, something ending working with ideas about temporality...

there are certainly lots of extreme shed enthusiasts out there- sheddies or shedites they seem to be known as. in shed week 2008, starting 7th july, people compete by submitting photos of their sheds.

here is a story of The school pottery teacher who turned a fortune with garden-shed forgeries and about men and sheds, a site of isolation and a wierd article, garden sheds for women.

just a few things to start me thinking about responding to the theme of the ‘shed’ before i start considering possible responses to the site of the shed-and-a-half gallery, being on a rooftop in shoreditch...