Material culture

Material culture is defined as all the physical objects created by humans, from sneakers and sweaters to bongs and bourbon. 83rd + Thornhill is the recognition, celebration, and sometimes disillusionment with the things we humans create.

Material culture permeates everything we know. It drives the economy. It drives social media. It’s the foundation for a lot of our relationships and friendships.

So why yet another website devoted to this idea of material culture? Because “things” have always been an interest of mine, and having a place for creative expression to showcase my interests is something I’ve always wanted to do, but kept private.

My hope is that you will find what I have to say interesting, find a sense of familiarity, find something new, or just have something else to fill their time.

I make no promises that what you’ll find here will be wholly original. At this point, almost nothing is. But maybe what you find here will have a new take on something old, or reignite a passion you’ve long harbored.

I’ve always marveled at human ingenuity. The world is filled with interesting people and interesting things. Of course, not all material culture is positive or productive. Especially today, where there’s more awareness than ever that things aren’t all as they should be, conspicuous consumption and the drive for more is looking less healthy for the environment and our mental state than we may care to acknowledge.

There’s a balance to strike. In material culture, we find our drive, our interests, and our passions. In non-material culture, we enriche our lives with friends, family, and nature. If we find that balance, we can have a healthy celebration of material culture while recognizing it’s not everything.

Welcome to 83rd + Thornhill.