This is an ongoing photographic project recording lost gloves. The title Gant is a homophonic reference to the French for glove. This is from Old French guant and Frankish want and proto-Germanic wantuz. Want. Wantuz. Do we Want them? Do they WantUs?

The words are interesting as their roots illustrate the problem with the single lost glove. Some of the questions are being explored:

• Was it wanted?
• Was it intentionally lost?
• Who notices them?
• When do they disappear into the landscape?
• How many are there?
• Do they exist in all countries of the world?

I am inspired too by a fascination with the early work of Surrealist and Anarchist Anthony Earnshaw. I first heard George Melly (a collector of his work) talking about Earnshaw’s obsession with combs, labelled meticulously, toothless or otherwise that he found in the street in the days when almost every man carried a comb in his back pocket. Additional explorations continuing on this theme beyond recording finds are:

• Locations
• ‘Wanted’ & Lost and Found posters
• Online directory and public engagement for other finds (in development)
• eBook illustrating the theme
• Prints of selected gloves
• Online Request for stories and histories (in development)

Any comments on this project please Contact me.

Status: Work in progress
Year: 2000+
Website: Not published yet

George Melly’s obit in The Guardian is worth reading.