Let's Take Care of Our Elderly!

Sure, there are foundations all across the world promoting to "save the children" and to protect "today's youth", but what about Grandma? Do we just continue to toss our elders into nursing homes and assisted living where we only visit them when it is convenient for us? Okay, so maybe that was a little harsh... but the elders of today are seriously mistreated. Fed up with this ever-growing epidemic of "ageism", artist Paul Chamberlain decided to use art as his reaction. In his new gallery show, Stigmas, Chamberlain displays sustainable wood chairs that address the issues of the deprived elderly of today. 

Each chair has an overall theme, each one is directly drawn from society's stereotypes of old people. Such as all old people walk with canes, have horrible eyesight, can't drive, and they shrink. Sure, these things happen to an extent, but not in the extreme fashion that has been painted all over the media. News flash: old people are still people. I love old people.... from a very young age my mom had me deliver Meals on Wheels with her every week to older folk and I always loved hearing their crazy stories from their youth. I realized at about age 8 that old people were merely just an older version of myself and nothing to be afraid of like most children are. Old people are awesome, they have been through everything and they have shaped the society that we live in today. Sure the youth is always changing things around, but if you think about it, the elderly provided us the society that we were born into. Chamberlain wanted to push exactly this point across to the people. Old people are still people and sure we can design these great, ground breaking items and gadgets for us, but somebody has to be looking out for them. Lets face it, we will all be old people one day. Lets embrace our past and those who have survived a life through some of the most transitional times our country has seen. Old people matter... lets let them live out their last years seeing the change that their predecessors are making for the BETTER.