Body Modification: Process

To experiment with form and performance, I will be working with a partner to create a body modification design. This interactive, three-dimensional piece will not only communicate the thematic scenario of a circus but also messages on gender stereotypes. Constructed augmentation will play a large role in this as we aim to use inclusive and accepting materials. Circus performers, women specifically, should not be limited by their clothing so our goal is to create a supportive yet comfortable body augmentation. My goal is to focus on body activation in regard to how items used to be used in the past versus how they are used today and even how they will be used in the future. Craft is also extremely important in this as the relationship between surfaces and skin is highly sensitive. Ultimately, creating a body modification focused on the circus theme will require the use of many design elements and principles.

To begin the ideation stage of this assignment, I researched the history and function of carnivals across the globe. Upon finding pictures (shown below) I was able to explore details on who, what, why, when, and where. While carnivals began for Christians who were going through lent, this has drastically changed in today’s world. It was also a primitive festival that included parades and other public street entertainment options. Carnivals often combined elements of the circus with modern-day amusements like rides, food, and animal acts. The largest of these carnivals occur in Brazil, Trinidad, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Spain. After finding this information I was able to answer the same categories in a design scenario that focuses on today’s carnivals. These typically occur in suburbs with kids and families. They often happen during the summer and include games, activities, food, and entertainment. We then transitioned into creating physical models of possible options. Rolling dice decided our requirements of using the arm, having a body performer theme, and incorporating migration elements. After brainstorming we knew we wanted to take the migration theme literally and either add birds or feathers to the life-size drawing. With this, Andrea and I ended up creating an arm sleeve of feathers that used movement to show migration (shown below). The body performance aspect was also shown through a dramatic addition of feathers below the arm sleeve. This creation provided us with a starting point for our final composition.

 

Andrea and I chose the torso as our body part of choice because it is something that many female performers have to deal with in the circus. Corsets have been forced upon women for many years in order to fit into ideal beauty standards. However, we wanted to create a design that focused on inclusion and comfortability. This began with creating different paper models with tape and pipe cleaners. We first constructed two cone-shaped cylinders that would stack on one another (shown below). We realized this would be difficult to measure and build out of fabric so we found a different way. Using a net-like structure, similar to Assignment 4 (2D to 3D), we drew out the shape. After cutting this out we taped pipe cleaners on the inside to represent the wire within a corset (shown below). Once we were able to visualize the size and shape, we transitioned to the small details. We wanted the color palette to be symbolic of the carnival. These colors are typically a broad range of deep intensities. Because of this, we chose a burgundy red since it reminded us of the large tents that hold games and food at carnivals. However, we also wanted to pull in colors of typical corsets that are worn under clothes. This includes tans, blacks, and whites. Instead of deterring focus away from the red, we decided to incorporate black as a secondary color. Incorporating floral lace and black ribbon into the corset provided an aspect that viewers could feel as well. Our design also defies the stereotypical corset design as it is created with a spandex, elastic material. So, feeling this material is an important part of the design experience since it impacts a performer’s every movement.

After choosing and buying these materials, we were able to begin building. In order to make the corset a realistic size, we both measured ourselves and found the average length between the two numbers. We folded the fabric in half and drew the shape to have a symmetrical corset. After cutting the shape out (seen below) we were able to secure the wire. Since the wire was thinner than we initially thought, we had to fold it over itself multiple times before taping it in place (seen below). We then covered each piece of wire with additional red fabric to provide more support and sturdiness (seen below). Beforehand we tested small strips with tacky glue and rubber cement (seen below). This allowed to us determine which materials would work best together. We ended up using tacky glue and a fabric glue stick for this since multiple layers were being added to the inside. After this, we stapled the pleated lace onto the bottom of the corset (seen below). This feminine touch was ascetically pleasing and allowed for the performer aspect to shine. The movement of the lace also played a large role in our extra sense of touch because it is a material that viewers would be drawn to feel. Once this was all completed and dry we were able to lace the ribbon through slits in the back (seen below). This was a tedious process because of how thick our ribbon was and how small the slits were. However, doing so would allow for all body shapes and sizes to wear the corset. This accomplished our goal of inclusion and also impacted the performance ascetic. Ultimately, our design rejects the past construction of corsets and provides a new way for them to be made.

This assignment has allowed me to explore areas of design that I didn’t even think I was interested in. Fashion is something that I have never been able to dive into but my recent studies in Women’s Gender and Sexuality have prompted the ideas behind our corset. Creating a body modification based on past gender stereotypes provided a way for our design to hold a deeper meaning and become useful to a larger audience. That being said, our biggest achievement was creating an inclusive design. However, we learned that this process is difficult due to material usage and adhesive strategies. Finding glue that would last for an extended amount of time and not leave any residue on the material was solved through fabric glue sticks. Overcoming these challenges gave us opportunities to problem solve on the spot which only benefitted our outcome. Specifically, I was able to learn about wire gauges and how to effectively use thin wire within clothing materials. To improve on this, we could have sewn the wire into the fabric in order for it to lay flatter. Removing the wrinkles on the outside of the composition would make it more aesthetically pleasing for users. Nevertheless, I am proud of the composition and design experience that Andrea and I created.