In the third of our series chronicling a day in the working life of some of our favourite individuals from the Wallpaper* generation of creative lights, we take in the rising star Peter Marigold and find out about his fear of food in the morning and the inner music that plays constantly in his head...
What was the first thing you thought about when you woke up this morning? ‘It’s rare that the sound of the plumbing at the top of the house wakes me up this late. Maybe my flat mate is ill?’ I guess that’s what you call symbiosis.
What do you wear to work? My studio (OKAYstudio) has a problem with damp, therefore anything I wear there tends to smell like it’s been buried in the garden for a week. So I wear clothes that other people won’t smell me wearing. And thick work shoes: the floor gets pretty cold. Can I hear violins?
What do you have for breakfast? My brain ceases to function if I eat anything for breakfast. What all those health specialists tell you is lies. I discovered this at school when I was about 17. Brains function best when they are on the edge of both panic and desperation, so hunger can help this on a daily basis. So instead, I usually have a cup of coffee with a bit of hot milk.
Do you read a newspaper/watch television/click online? I read the Guardian on Saturday, which is a bit cliched I know, but it’s one of the only regular events in my life. If I really had a conscience, which reading the Guardian suggests that I do, I would bother to find some other sources of information. I try to watch television as much as possible but I am hampered by: 1. Our lack of signal quality. Years ago I didn’t have a television in the house, and in a rage once I cut through all the aerial cables that were painted into the woodwork. I stripped them out of the window, thus causing irreparable damage to the whole system. I am trying not to live with the regret at having done this. Subsequently we only get fuzzy channels one to four, and really fuzzy five. 2. The lack of decent programmes on television. I don’t know if it’s me, and many people tell me I’m suffering from nostalgia, but I honestly believe that TV used to be much better. It really is full of crap today. More annoyingly - predictable crap. I’m sure this is the primary reason Big Brother is so popular. Occasionally late at night I might scan across my four fuzzy channels and sit for thirty seconds watching green images of the housemates sleeping. In entertainment desperation I often turn to various internet sites that show clips – rather than programmes. I often consider that our society is now being formed by this notion of ‘clips’ rather than ‘programmes’. Sadly, a politician now will only be known to the British Public by his sound bites rather than his policies (or even the results of his policies) – and this in turn shapes the overall nature of policy making. In this way, the general attention level of the public is guided by fashion and events rather than enduring qualities.
How do you get to work? I cycle to work. My studio is in Stoke Newington and I live in sunny Hampstead. Sometimes I cycle through Hampstead Heath with a bicycle trailer attached and load it up with logs from a giant fallen beech tree (yes, I have permission).
What time do you first check your inbox? Sometimes I check my inbox obsessively. Other times I try and ignore it. Have you noticed that some people have chosen not to communicate by email but only by phone or in person? I think that’s a great thing. Although email is often portrayed as the new and only form of communication I find it to be a symptom of a failing society. Subtle emotive language, body language and the many nuances of communication are (wishfully/wilfully/accidentally) being cut out of the equation.
Do you listen to music whilst you work? If so, what are you listening to at the moment? I can’t listen to music while I’m thinking because my brain shuts down. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night because I hear a constant stream of really tinny, repetitive pop music. I’m convinced I’ve got some bits of metal in my head that pick up radio waves. If I’m building stuff I listen to Aphex Twin – the last few albums if possible – that is only if no-one else from OKAY is in the studio.
Where would your ideal lunch be and who would it be with? I’d love to meet up with all my friends who I never get around to seeing all together despite constant promises – and ideally it would be somewhere sunny, by a pool, with lots of alcohol. I’m not that fussy about the food. Some burgers.
Summarise in three words your work ethos? More is More. Seriously – don’t trust those design ninjas of old who said the opposite – they were all prolific. Perspiration drives inspiration as Einstein said.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself Self-criticism.
What do you think is the most overrated virtue? Plumbing.
Where do you feel most inspired? On holiday when my mind is free from the detritus of my life; at my kitchen table, after drinking some coffee; sitting in a library with a pile of books and magazines; walking through Hampstead Heath’s forests and on long train journeys.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Gaining a place at the Royal College of Art. I’m eternally grateful that the course tutors saw through my sculpture portfolio and let me in. I’m pretty amazed that I got the last Paul Smith installation finished also.
How do you switch off? Sadly I don’t. I temporarily postpone my fear that I’m not doing something, which usually involves: 1. Playing on my Playstation Portable – lying on my bed with my girlfriend lying on top of me. 2. Watching the Apprentice - though I never know when it’s on and so only saw one episode this time. 3. Taking long train journeys.
What did you want to be when you were a child? A spaceman. Why do kids always say that? It really doesn’t look that exciting when you think about it.
What excites you/terrifies you on a daily basis? The rain. It’s supposed to be a beautiful soothing sound, but when you have a leak in your roof you are constantly reminded of the fragile skin that separates howling, primitive, naked man from the brutal force of nature.
Is there anything about retirement you look forward to? Honestly do people like us retire? If I retire I would have to take up a hobby, which would be something like what I do now but with less dust.
2 of 2 | Previous
