CAP

— I happened to come across my old punching bag that I used from 18 to 30, or thereabouts, to hit with my arms and legs. It was a hard, hulky Soviet punching bag, made from leather, like the type they use for soldiers' boots. But because I battered it for 15 years it got very soft (...) So I cut it up and used half of it to make myself this simple cap to have something to wear on the streets, go to the shop, walk my dog, etc. I put a warm lining in here. It didn't need much doing, just a bit of taking in, some bands. These long bits of leather here are from my army boots I found in the closet that I used to wear to go harvest potatoes, pick mushrooms etc. I covered up the stitches in the back with them, on the capband. Then I made the peak. I don't remember if it was made from my wife's old boots, or from some old black bag (...) It turned out to be pretty useful, a very practical object, and brought me a great deal of pleasure in the process of making it. It's one of my masterpieces, without a doubt (...) These types of things (...) I wore the cap with pleasure. It kept me dry, protected me from the rain, the snow (...) Then in '94 I went to teach abroad, and I wasn't here for a year. Then I wore it for another couple of years but by that time it had already turned into a rag and I stopped wearing it. The lining was here – a warm soft lining. But you have to change linings a lot, as you probably know. So I changed it a number of times but the last time it turned to sh... – pardon my French – shit, I just chucked it out. And that's about all.