warhols-boxes

Over the course of thirty years, Andy Warhol filled over 600 cardboard boxes with objects from his daily life, from photographs and newspaper clippings to artworks and telephone messages. He used a marker to write the date or contents on the outside, then sent the boxes to storage rooms.

The array of boxes, which are all the same size, are themselves quite beautiful. Actually, it is because they are all the same size that they are beautiful and not as daunting as different size boxes, which look messy and haphazard. Warhol figured out the perfect simple, cheap, unfussy, visually-pleasing method for collecting just about anything: uniform containers in multiples. His time capsule idea works as a sort of deconstructed scrapbook, way easier than all cutting and pasting, but with the same effect: an archive, to revisit times, or leave intact for others to see.

time-capsule-dtl1

Why not make your own time capsules or collections?  

Uline has an amazing selection of storage boxes, including the archetypal Magazine Storage Box, as well as classic industrial shelving.

You can see the Time Capsules The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh or at an online exhibition the Museum created featuring the contents of one box: Time Capsule 21.

Thanks, Pamela!

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *