ABSTRACT
Materiality defines us: we are material beings, and we surround ourselves with matter. In today’s affluent societies, the materiality of our world can be so dominating that we can feel overwhelmed by stuff, things; too much of which creates clutter. This was not always so; while items may have been pleasing to the eye, the first things human hands made were very likely for practical purposes. Human beings exceed other animals in language skills and tool making. Human skills have filled the earth with artefacts, good and pleasurable as well as destructive.
