Real vs Virtual

'The archetype of a table is obvious and simple. The technology employed to produce a table for a king is the same as that used by, for example, the Shakers.'

'We might think of the present as an age of confrontation between objects that originated as archetypes and objects that originated in dematerialized forms. To the extent that dematerialization follows technology's vertiginous progress, archetypes are beginning to look more and more archaic. And as the real is erased and we are swept into the virtual, our need for the presence of the archaic is becoming more urgent. A desire to re-establish a balance between the two has created the need for tangible validation of our existence in the world in which we live.'

Sylvain Dubuisson quoted in 'Best Chairs, Tables, Lights'


Again a comment from a book on furniture. However there are some interesting parallels here between the return to the archaic in the face of the virtual in furniture and a similar response to the post-modern by those who are reviving ancient spiritual practices i.e. Lectio Divina, Labyrinth etc. Webber. McLaren et al have advocated such things in the realm of worship/theology and are apparently speaking with same voice as those who critique furniture.