Sunflower Seeds and Toy ShopsScot Bower - 12 Nov 2010

One of the pleasures of living so close to London is the opportunity it affords to play tourist. When friends and relatives visit or we just fancy a day out wandering around the magnificent museums and galleries of England’s capital playing tourist is a fun way to spend a day.

Last week with our children on school holiday and a visit from their Nanny B we planned an impressive tourist itinerary in the city including a ‘flight’ on the London Eye; which terrified my mum, fascinated Misty and I, and thrilled the kids. This was to be followed by lunch on the South Bank and later an extended visit to Hamleys the finest toy shop in the world. Hamleys is a treat included for Mimi and Evan’s benefit, though I get just as much out of the toy paradise as they do, as it seems do most dads who I could see dragging their kids around with a gleam in their wide eyes and broad grins on their faces.
But jammed in the middle of our big day out was a visit to the Tate Modern (an art gallery for modern and contemporary art on the South Bank of the Thames). A redeeming moment of culture in the midst of our tourist trivia!

Exhibitions at the Tate Modern sometimes leave me confused, though I’ll always do my best to look thoughtful and engaged, nodding appreciatively on the outside whilst inside I’m frowning and scratching my head! Sometimes though I’m captivated and find myself grinning like an idiot at a wonderful lesson that’s caused me to somehow see the world slightly differently.

Our tourist day was one of those times. The exhibition of 100 million hand crafted porcelain sunflower seeds sounded ridiculous. Another white elephant I would scratch my head at. From the balcony it looked… silly, like a tired grey carpet.

However when I came closer, bent down and saw the care taken in producing each porcelain seed, handcrafted and painted using traditional calligraphy brushes. And seeing as well the place each seed takes amongst the mass, I was surprised at how effected I was. Questions bubbled up in my mind: Questions of identity: In a crowd does the individual derive identity from the corporate? And if so is that a valid part of an identity? Questions around creation and value: Each was individually cast, sanded, painted and dried, each is of equal worth and cared for by it’s creator.

Each of the millions of pieces were different, each unique and of equal worth and as I wondered I found God whispering to me the same lessons about humanity, each of us is created with care, unique and precious, known intimately by it’s designer. Beyond that though each continues to be watched over by it’s creator, whereas the sunflower seeds in the Turbine Hall were (carefully) strewn randomly and raked flat along the floor. Each of us continue to be known and placed with care, the ‘seeds’ that surround us too; unique, chosen and cared for. The seeds that represent  community, church, friendship and family were all gently whispered and I was reminded of the value of those I have been placed next to and with whom I share my life.