By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer
“I really think that as a culture, we’re ready for a major overhaul,†says Carrboro’s Tim Peck.
Peck is the subject of a new short video produced by Linda DiLorenzo of DiLorenzo Studios, titled “Peck and Artisans.†The video focuses on Peck’s work as a general contractor and the philosophy of that work. The need for overhaul he’s referring to above is in the nature of the latter — the philosophy of work, and what
Peck sees as an ongoing cultural trend away from regard for true craft.
Peck’s concern is that the default approach to work these days is “hurry up, hurry up — and it’s hard for people to put care into their work.â€
“A lot of people feel trapped in a situation where they’re just knockin’ it out,†he says, “and it’s not that much fun.â€
In the video, Peck puts it this way: “People don’t get the kinds of rewards that they need internally that I think people used to get … [when] you made something and you felt good about what you made.â€
“People feeling pride in their work is so important,†Peck says. “And the way things are set up, we’re just destroying that every day. We tell people that they’re not going fast enough, it costs too much … How do we be craftsmen, how do we feel good about ourselves in this day and time, when we’re just pulled on in so many ways?â€
A central theme of the video is the collaborative creative process Peck assumes with his clients. Among those featured in the show are Moshi Moshi hair studio, Lantern Restaurant, 3 Cups, SandwHich, the Greenbridge project and a private residence in Carrboro. Several among these clients-cum-collaborators talk about the difficulty of a process in which appropriate attention is given to every consideration of every material, to exactingly precise craftsmanship and, bottom line, to no-compromising quality. Moreover, and apparently of equal importance to Peck, these same folks point out that, through it all, their friendship with the craftsman endured.
As subtext to the video is the unfolding of a similarly collaborative process between Peck and the filmmaker DiLorenzo. Providing voiceover, DiLorenzo says that in producing this piece she sought to “honor the craftsmanship, the knowledge of space, appreciation of beauty and attention to detail†found in work of the caliber of Peck’s, adding, “these are the tools of my craft as well.â€
“We were a perfect match,†says DiLorenzo, “because my work is about making people visible, and his work is often invisible†– meaning that the work that goes into the work may not be manifest.
Peck and DiLorenzo first talked about doing a one-to-three-minute video describing his work to place on his website.
“Things evolved from there,†DiLorenzo says. “He was so open and explorative†about the nature of his work as a small-business owner and in his reflections on the importance of investing his work with integrity. “I began thinking, ‘This is something that will interest other business owners.’â€
Peck began as a plumbing contractor, and some of the most beautiful of his work displayed in the video is found within the privy walls — including the bathroom at SandwHich, which owner Hich Elbetri says one customer is so enamored of he wants to eat in there.
Also of note is the work he’s done in his own home, where he’s created what he calls “ego room.†(Definition: “There’s more [there] than just what you needed; it’s more open. I just think people feel better in rooms that are tall.â€)
“Design really is in almost every motion you make,†Peck says. It’s a philosophy he works hard to incorporate into his craft.
“There’s an integrity that goes into work… [T]he actual work and materials could be very, very similar to what someone else is doing. But this guy didn’t feel good about his work, and this guy did — and that’s huge.â€
There will be a free, open-to-the-public screening of the video on June 21st at 7 p.m. at the Century Center. Peck and DiLorenzo will be on hand to discuss their work.