Quickie #4: Manipulating Usage

This quickie manipulate the usage of Michael's most useful body parts for interpreting and relaying information: the ears, mouth and eyes. His senses are entirely self-encapsulated (symbolically), so that he is only able to hear what he himself is saying (represented by the tape cassette) and he is unable to see anything going on in the environment around him. Thus, this quickie traps the wearer into a world where only their own thoughts are present and these are being recycled over and over again.

Assignment #4: Single Human Body

And What About the Children?

Modern changes in technology and lifestyle have redefined the role of the parent in the typical American household. All the basic elements of family life (eating dinner, cooking, spending time together, learning, playing games, etc.) have been sped up, mechanized or prepackaged to the point where they hardly exist. Parents no longer find time to be with their children and give them a proper upbringing; instead, it is entirely acceptable to substitute parenthood by placating their child's mind with a television set (the modern day baby sittter), filling their bellies with microwaveable foods (for the sake of time and convenience on their part) and sending them off into the world with money and possessions (cell phones, iPods, laptops, etc.) as an easy pacifier instead of taking the time to instill real values and appreciation for the different wonders and hardships of life. This method seems to work for the parents, who save on time and are able to pursue careers away from home. But what about the children?

This piece attempts to pose this question by using an iconic symbol for the happy, healthy home (the hardworking, stay-at-home housewife and her trusty apron) and modernizing it to match up with the reality of parenthood's role in the family today. The apron was made out of a gray, pinstriped fabric to signify the priority which careers are given over time spent with the family. The pockets are filled with checkbooks and canned ravioli to represent how readily both money and fast food are given from parent to child in an effort to minimize the time spent on actually rearing the child. The main focus of the piece, however, is the television set attached to the center of the apron, which represents the new substitute for the parent: the TV. Not only do kids spend the majority of their time in front of the TV, but they have to learn many of their behaviors and values from what they see on TV shows in the absence of real parenting.

Quickie #3: Enhancing Function

This quickie enhances the functionality of the spine by providing additional support and structure to the human torso. The steel tubes strapped to the wearer forces their backbone into a straighter position, improving alignment and posture throughout the body as a whole.

Form Project

Quickie #2: Altering Identity

This quickie is meant to alter the identity of Josh, its wearer. As an actor and performer, his voice and facial expressions are a large part of his identity, both professionally and personally. In masking the lower half of his face and hindering his ability to speak, this quickie restricts a large part of this identity.

Quickie #1: Ideal vs. Non-Ideal

The prototypical body of a woman is idealized to be soft, pliant and curvaceous. This ideal exists not only to create a sensual aesthetic for the observing male eye, but also to make the woman’s body a nurturing and inviting source of comfort for her spouse, friends and children. This piece alters the body of the woman to become hard, angular and repellant, warding off both visual and tactile contact. The use of the flower, combined with the gradual fade of the harsh cardboard armor into the softer, more “feminine” colors of the braided scarves, juxtaposes both ideal and non-ideal depictions of a woman’s body.

Materials: Rubber bands, leather belt, cardboard shoe box, plastic flower, scarves, thread