The drawer analysis: what our storage spaces reveal about us
From odds and ends to keepsakes: a tongue-in-cheek look at what we stash away – and why.
By Finn Andorra (text), Betty Einhaus (photos)
Drawers lead a shadowy existence – in the truest sense of the word: they are usually tucked into tables or cupboards, it is dark inside, and the outside world hardly ever gets to see what’s in them. Drawers are practical everyday helpers: whatever shouldn’t be left lying around gets shoved in – socks, pens, old photos, drawing pins, cutlery, spanners.
Only rarely is there any order, as in a cutlery tray or a tool cabinet with its compartments. Usually the drawer still life descends into more or less systematic chaos: drawer users may still know which drawer the sewing thread or the envelopes have disappeared into – but few have a clear idea of exactly where in it they are. Out of sight, out of mind.
Could there be method in this organised mess after all? Is there an aesthetic in the everyday business of putting things away? Betty Einhaus explores this question in her photo project.
The editorial team took a close look at the pictures and tried to work out who the drawers might belong to.
The single wrist guard looks like an alibi.
Michael Hinz
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The amount was too small to make a special trip to the bank.
Etienne Dötsch
‘This drawer belongs to someone from the upper middle class. The birthday card with its good wishes was thrown away unread long ago, while the hundred and thirty euros were carelessly put aside – the amount was too small to make a special trip to the bank. The person has a great passion for photography, as all the camera accessories show. They are moderately organised: things have been put away, but still within manageable limits. The drawer contains many things that aren’t used every day but still matter. It’s the drawer you search when you’re not sure where to start. An “if not there, then here” drawer.’ Etienne Dötsch
I wonder whether this person is interested in natural remedies.
Paul Hartinger
‘The first thing I find interesting is the willow twig. I wonder whether this person is interested in natural remedies. Willow bark contains salicin, which can relieve headaches – the discovery that gave rise to the idea for the well-known drug aspirin. The shell emblem, probably a scallop shell, reminds me of the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrim routes that run through Europe. The hiking-boot charm fits too. The person probably walked the Way and picked up a few shells in Spain or Portugal.’ Paul Hartinger
She keeps a hair tie with a few of his dark curls in it as a reminder of the good times they had together.
Deliah El-Chehade
‘This is Lena, 32. At the start of the year she visited the love of her life in Morocco for the fourth time. She keeps a hair tie with a few of his dark curls in it as a reminder of the good times they had together. Hopefully Sofian will be able to visit her in Europe this summer. The sweet street cats of Marrakesh didn’t leave her cold – she’s taking one back to Germany with her.’ Deliah El-Chehade
Dear drawer person, I hope you’ll give pasta, Chianti & co. a second chance soon!
Jannis Schubert
‘It looks as if, long ago, this person invited people to an Italian dinner that, for some inexplicable reason, never happened. Perhaps a family dinner nobody fancied, or a romantic surprise dinner that fell through? Either way, all the ingredients were promptly banished to this drawer and forgotten. Ever since, opening the drawer and seeing the dusty relics has been a reminder of that failed evening. Dear drawer person, I hope you’ll give pasta, Chianti & co. a second chance soon!’ Jannis Schubert
