Last year, out of the blue - Lena showed me an photo of this stool/chest I made in 2nd Year. I had totally forgotten about it until now - it was part of a design assignment where we were required to make pieces of furniture as a response to larger design idea. We were meant to make these in the university workshop, but at that time, I was undisciplined and did not make full use of what the school had to offer. Instead, I built my design in our living room with bought timber and fittings from McEwans - I must say it turned out quite well, with secret drawers and a chess board on the flip-side of the seat. It had little claw-feet which were no doubt influenced by lessons from Nick Beattie's Art and Architecture tutorials.
What was surprising from this exchange with Lena was not the design of the stool itself but how much stuff we left behind when Sam and I departed for home in 1990 - she kept the low coffee table we ate other dinners on. I left Geelong meaning to return but I never did. And that itself shaped my memories of university and friends. It became 'history' because the stories did not continue after we left, they were frozen in time for re-telling to new friends and our children.
