R e f l e c t i o n -
I've come a relatively long way since reading,
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and The Meanings of Things. I delivered a class presentation yesterday on my progression / concept development to date. To backtrack, I'll post the slides and elaborate on the notes that I'd prepared for the presentation.
First of all, I was going back through the various information, images and reflection that I have worked through, pausing to reconsider my Intention Abstract that was initially written to pre-empt this semester's body of work. The first paragraph is perhaps more relevant now that my thoughts have contextualised through the manifestation of a design concept.
I am often inspired by clothes that transcend functional distinction; fashion that tells a story or perhaps isolates an individual character. I usually try to pack a lot into my work and there’s often a real contrast between conceptual exploration and aesthetic expression, where I’m intrigued by societal issues, human perception and our interaction with the world around us.
Pursuing my intrigue with hoarding, my initial alignment with fashion was a love-hate relationship that i regarded as at times, 'obsessive' and 'useless'. However, as I have read through the first couple of chapters in the book I am reading, (Stuff: Compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things) I've gained some really great insight into the disorder and now have a better understanding of the significance of acquisition - particularly for a hoarder, who's desire to possess is stronger than any other instinct. I'm starting to see beauty in its meanings and closer connections to fashion - obviously exemplified with total extremity.
The boundaries between normal and
abnormal blur when it comes to hoarding. We all become attached to our
possession and save things other people wouldn’t. So we all share some of the
hoarding orientation. The passion of a collector, the procrastination of
someone who hasn’t taken the time to put things away, the sentimentality of one
who saves remainders of important personal events. [Pg. 24]
To this quote, I could add statements of how strongly we
feel about items of clothing, particular details, colour combinations. The book provides intimate case studies, where the people
described have such a love for aesthetics; every object is rich in
detail.
For hoarders, "everything seems equally important –
it’s all homogenised." One particular woman had piles upon piles of what would typically be regarded as junk... old newspapers, empty boxes / containers etc. However, among it were valuable items such as money, cheques and photographs of her children. She had trouble categorising / isolating meaning, since everything she owned was considered to her, valuable. This raises questions about what is valuable
for one person in accordance to the next.
Another point that has interested me is that while objects provide a more meaningful life, promoting positive and soothing sensations that can be associated with security / identity /
nostalgia, they paradoxically result in substantial discomfort /
destruction / taking over space and distorting perception / sense of self /
affecting quality of life.
So here there is a war. A tension between what is instinctive and is perceived to the individual as comforting and natural, versus what is unhealthy; weighing the person down and instilling negativity, causing depression, anxiety etc.
I came across the term, Horror Vacuii, (which sounds fantastic) meaning 'fear of empty or white spaces' –commonly used to describe Victorian homes / Baroque style in the 19th century. Every inch of every surface, be it
wallpaper, pillows, upholstery, rugs or lampshades, is covered with lavish
brocade.
Therefore, there is no place for the eye to rest. I'm really into this idea. Excessiveness in its extreme, which relates back to the idea of hoarding - filling every spot in one's living space with possessions / objects / stuff. I imagine my collection visually translating this idea or phobia, where in the last look, the body is completely covered; displaying a progression that eventually inhabits the body and the
garment.
I have, of course, been considering structure as a general approach to the topic. Una Burke's work is a good example of where I see my work heading at this stage - creating pieces that literally stand alone.
One
approach to the visual representation of concept. Examples of last week’s
class work build from shoulders and neck, cocooning the wearer and
providing a haven among the structure.
And then there's the use of materials. How will I represent the eclectic nature of what one might collect / hoard and challenge the notion of value through materials?
Am I combining useless and invaluable materials with surfaces that may reflect the opposite?
At this stage, I'm thinking about the notion of layering. I'm visualising piles of 'stuff'. I'm interested in creating new materials that may assist me to build structure.
