Contamination anxiety
Wearing the unwearable: contamination series
28.6.20 I'm interested in making a series of wearable sculptures, or maybe puppets, which visualise the contamination anxiety associated with 'social distancing'. Here are some ideas
1. Crinoline
I see these as cages - keeping the wearer imprisoned, but also protecting her/him from others. I like to use boning, which is the original material that was used traditionally in historic crinolines. Then it was made with bone, but now its either metal or plastic. It would make the structure quite rigid, yet would have some flexibility too.
Other ideas are to use metal fencing, the kind you'd find around a young sapling, or maybe barbed wire?
Other ideas are to use metal fencing, the kind you'd find around a young sapling, or maybe barbed wire?
2. Bubbles
'A bubble' has taken on a different meaning in Coronavirus speak. It's now a person or group of people you can isolate with and it means you can be closer to them than 2m. For these wearable sculptures, I was thinking of either individual bubbles or shared bubbles, although the latter would be extremely awkward to move in.... maybe a bit like a pantomime horse?
The artists Plastique Fantastique have made a series of plastic spheres for people to use as masks and as 'bubbles'.
The artists Plastique Fantastique have made a series of plastic spheres for people to use as masks and as 'bubbles'.
It makes me think of Zorbing!
Ordnance Survey (2020) Zorbing Available at: https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/zorbing/ (Accessed: 28 June 2020)
Ordnance Survey (2020) Zorbing Available at: https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/guides/zorbing/ (Accessed: 28 June 2020)
3. Spikes
Maybe soft spikes, like my rucksack? They look vicious, but would harm no one.