For this proposal, I would like to make a piece using textiles and textile-specific technology. I would create a series of five muumuu-like plus size dresses that would exhibit audio when approached. The five dresses would all have bold, clashing patterns – one would have thick horizontal stripes, one would have a large polka dot print, one would be a black and white checkerboard pattern, and the other two would have differing large floral patterns that might be reminiscent of the prints on retro couches or curtains. These dresses would be hand-sewn by me, and would have stitched details to create the “parts” of a fat body – the breasts, stomach, mons pubis, butt, and rolls of fat, as well as stretch marks. The stitching would be used to make the dresses three dimensional and more accurately reference all dimensions of the fat body, and I would also sew the material in a way to distort the pattern as if it were stretched over a body. I would use textile specific technologies, such as the Arduino-compatible Flora wearable electronic platform, available from Ada Fruit Industries. The fives dresses would be hung individually, and as they were approached they would exhibit audio recordings. Once the viewer was within one foot of the sensor, each piece would begin to tell a personal story of abuse or harassment I’ve experience that was directly related to the size of my body. Each piece of audio would be no more than two minutes, in an attempt to keep the audience most engaged.
This piece would be titled “On Display” and would explore fat bodies, clothing as a means of exploring self-identity, and the ways in which fat bodies are viewed as public property. I would display this work in a high-traffic, public area such as a mall. If I were to display this work in Regina, I would do so in the Cornwall Centre mall downtown. I would want to display this work in such a public area, and specifically in a mall, because members of the public often feel that they have access to and ownership over fat bodies and this piece would engage with that wide-held believe. Shopping malls also exemplify the way bodies are policed and controlled by mainstream notions of beauty and what is “acceptable.” Malls exist as public spaces whose function is to have influence and control over how people adorn their body, as well as a place where non-normative bodies feel unwelcome and are placed on display. As a fat person, I generally feel quite comfortable exposing my body (such as wearing revealing clothing in warmer months) in outdoor public spaces, but become noticeably uncomfortable when that public area becomes an enclosed space. While I can only speak from my own experiences, I have heard similar sentiments from other friends who also have visibly non-normative bodies – we are comfortable to walk down Scarth Street and sit in Victoria Park, but when we need to go into the Cornwall Centre for coffee or to use the washroom we become uncomfortably aware that our bodies are on display as non-normal and, as such, are open for commentary by strangers. Because I experience my body very differently in malls than I do in other public spaces, I think displaying this work in a high-traffic shopping mall in a central area is integral to piece’s themes and function.
Although I had already been interested in this sort of art, I had very little understanding of the technologies used in them. After the in-class lecture by Ned Bartlett and the demonstration on how to use Arduinos, I had a more comprehensive understanding of these technologies and knowing how they were already being used by artists inspired me to consider using them in an art piece. I spoke to Ned Bartlett after the Arduino workshop as I was inspired by this technology, and we spoke briefly about lilypads being used in art. I wasn’t aware that lilypads were made specifically for textile work, but after finding that out I was very excited by the possibilities. Ned Bartlett’s lecture included a video of a light-up hat for an infant that was made by amateur users in their home. Seeing the way that the lilypad in this hat did not interfere with the aesthetic line of the material, and that the infant did not seem irritated by its presence, made me think that this is a technology I could use in art projects of my own.
I am influenced by a few different artists for this art piece, and for many different reasons. Misha Cardenas’ work greatly influenced this project, as they use technology-based art as a tool for activist purposes. In particular, their piece titled “autonets” acts as an inspiration because it is a textile art work that utilizes lilypads and is used as activism for people with non-normative bodies and identities. I am also influenced by Cindy Baker, a Saskatoon based artist who also identifies as fat, and who discusses non-normative bodies in her artwork. I am particularly interested in Cindy Bakers’ on-going performance titled “Personal Appearance,” in which she wears a custom built professionally made mascot costume of herself. Of this piece, she says that that dressing as a “manifestation as a cuddly cartoon character functions to erase social barriers, encouraging physical contact and the building of emotional bonds.” She also says that “Personal Appearance engages the notion of fatness, addressing the lived reality of taboo bodies in spaces made for the socio-normative body, and encouraging discussions on the nature of size, beauty, acceptance, accommodation and accessibility.” Cindy Baker’s discussion of non-normative bodies in spaces made for socially normative bodies speaks very well to what I would hope to accomplish with my artwork.
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| image via openspace.ca |
One of the things that appeals to me about the Arduino is that, as far as technology goes, it is very accessible to individuals who don’t know much about the possibilities of technology’s use. In the videos shown during our Arduino lecture, it is evident that the use of this technology is often a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sort of technology. This was especially evident in the helium balloon photographs that captured images of the earth. I feel that in general DIY is an important part of activism because it gives individuals an autonomy over their bodies and how their identities and experiences are expressed. However, despite the accessibility of this type of technology and the open-source sharing that accompanies it, I do not find myself particularly skilled when it comes to technology and would not feel comfortable doing the coding on my own. I would want to collaborate with another person on this art piece, and have them address the technical aspects of using lilypads and the software involved with that. I would ideally like to work with one other person, as a team who shares credit, who is also engaged in activist-based art forms.
