Totes

Everyone has to carry something. How it's carried is the question of modernity.

In 1973, the first patent to put wheels on suitcases was granted. Amazingly, the space race had been ploughing on for over 10 years before this consumer innovation was rolled out (pun intended).

Over 50 years on, and now we have a culture of people that don't carry what they need but instead transport what they want, with the friction of lifting taken away. Discernment of need and building of physical strength is chipped away in the name of convenience.

Witness the jostle of boxes on wheels at transport terminals, the anxiety on a person's face when they meet an escalator, a crowded lift, a steep kerb, or God forbid, baggage drop/pick‑up. Deep down they know they've brought too much, but wrestle with the anxiety anyway.

Exploring this modern principle does parallel the emotional weight we carry. Can we outsource our cognitive load to technology while also being distracted from pain by modern consumer media? While these wheels roll, life feels smooth. But the underlying knowledge that emotional and cognitive load whisper away – like the squeaky wheel ready to fall off – remains. In the false comfort, awareness of adaptive mitigations to discomfort lacks.

The large bag of things represents a rendering of the identity we think we are. We are the 'just in case' generation, carrying our own distractions, fearing what will be found at the end of the journey.

Are we changing tack? Looking around, we see suitcases on wheels carrying too much, and flimsy tote bags carrying very little other than a brand name – both throwing the journey off balance.

Forks in the path provide choice. To the left, a smooth road to a cityscape with all the gold it offers. To the right, a rough track up through a mountain forest, where at its peak stands a tower to live with a 360‑degree horizon. Do we let our luggage dictate our path, or can we put things down to observe and absorb the world with a wide horizon?