Month: December 2024

Research Step 1: 

Five dangers you’d like to protect yourself from  

-Heatwaves/Extreme global warming 

-Embarrassment (maybe mind erasing abilities)

-Impact(driving or falling)

-Heartbreak 

-Natural disasters (tornado, hurricane, tsunami) 

Five ways you’d like to extend the capabilities of your body 

-Increased breathing capacity/ more oxygen (could also work for underwater breathing)

-Temperature control of your body 

-AI integrated into yourself

-Teleportation

-The ability to fly 

For my project, I chose to focus on a device that enhances breathing capacity and provides increased oxygen availability. I selected this concept because it is a realistic piece of equipment with versatile applications that can benefit a wide range of individuals. My initial inspiration was for its use in extreme sports such as mountain biking, skiing, and more. Enhanced oxygen with these activities could improve performance and endurance. The design will take the form of a helmet with integrated eye and head protection, providing functionality and even additional protection these sports require.

Beyond extreme sports, this concept could also be valuable for other athletic activities, like football, or even for medical purposes, assisting individuals who require supplemental oxygen. I envisioned this as a tool to boost performance, particularly for those operating in high-altitude environments.

This idea stems from my personal experience attending a semester school in Colorado, where I spent four months in the highest city in America. I dealt with altitude sickness and muscle cramps during extended hiking trips, which gave me firsthand insight into the challenges of low oxygen levels. While in Colorado, I noticed a product called Boost Oxygen, which sparked the thought that integrating such technology into a helmet could be even more effective and practical.

To align with its intended use for extreme sports, I aim to make the helmet aerodynamic, incorporating sleek and functional design elements. 

10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project

Boost Oxygen 

Mountain Biking Helmet 

Gas Mask 

Sunglasses

Mountain/ High Elevation 

Ski Helmet 

Ski Goggles 

Sky Diving 

Rock Climbing 

Snowboarding 

Research Step 2: Borrow a strategy

(David Mesguich, Egoism 1.0)

I plan to draw inspiration from the cubist aesthetic, incorporating harsh edges and angular forms to give the design a unique and modern appearance.

Research Step 3: Create sketches

Step 1:

• List out five dangers you’d like to protect yourself from.

1. Needles
2. Jellyfish
3. Cancer
4. Global warming
5. Extreme weather

• List out five ways you’d like to extend the capabilities of your body  

1. Be faster
2. Breath underwater
3. Enhanced hearing
4. Photographic memory
5. Ability to draw energy from sun, plants, etc

• Choose one of the ten items you listed above

I chose to focus on the ability to draw energy from the sun, plants, and other natural resources because of its potential to address key environmental and health challenges. By utilizing these resources, we can reduce the environmental impact of food production, including greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction. This approach helps with sustainability and protects ecosystems while also providing a healthier alternative to traditional energy sources, which often rely on processed or artificial methods. The goal of this project is to find an innovative way to reduce dependency on large-scale food production while offering a sustainable and healthier energy option. With this solution, we can help combat issues like overfarming, deforestation, and the depletion of natural resources, paving the way for a more sustainable future. This project also considers the needs of individuals with dietary restrictions, disabilities, or health conditions that limit their access to certain foods or nutrients. For these individuals, traditional diets will not always give them the energy they need. By developing a method to draw energy directly from natural resources, we can create a consistent and inclusive solution to meet diverse nutritional and energy needs, supporting both human health and environmental conservation.

• List out 10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project.
• Sun
• Leaves
• Vest
• Earth
• Energy
• Cells
• Elderly
• Health
• Food
• Bloom

Step 2:

• Find an image of a particular work of art that you find compelling.

• Artist: Saar Snoek
• Title: Werewere Kokako AotearoBra 
• Write just one sentence that specifies the attribute or strategy that you intend to borrow from the piece.
  • I intend to borrow the use of nature and natural elements in the wearable art and similar to here was going to incorporate it as a vest or top for a person to wear.

Step 3:

• Five sketches with 5 different ideas

Research Step 1: Choose and clarify the purpose of your wearable art

Five dangers: 

1. Being recognized 
2. Extreme cold 
3. Toxic air / air pollution
4. Predators or attackers
5. Overstimulation from loud environments

Five ways to extend bodily capabilities: 

1. Camouflage
2. Extendable limbs
3. Untouchable/sharp edges for protection
4. Hypnotizing features to distract or attract
5. Invisibility

Chosen idea: 

Camouflage 

I chose camouflage as the purpose of my wearable art project because it embodies a primal and desire to adapt to one’s surroundings, whether to avoid danger, embrace new identities, or blend into the background. I’m thinking of creating a wearable headpiece that will serve as a personal shield, allowing the wearer to visually blend into an environment. I’m inspired by the delicate anatomy of insects like spiders and butterflies, so I’m thinking the design will incorporate layered, translucent, and reflective materials to mimic the shifting colors and textures of nature.

List of associations: 

1. Butterfly wings
2. Spider legs 
3. Chameleons
4. Mirrors
5. Kaleidoscopes 
6. Moths 
7. Hexagonal patterns
8. Opals
9. Claws
10. Moss or lichen

Visuals: 

Research Step 2: Borrow a strategy

Iris Van Herpen 

Shift Souls Collection

I really enjoy the multiple layers and use of color in her designs. I think she also uses biomimicry in her designs.

Step 3: Sketches

Step 1

List out five dangers you’d like to protect yourself from

1. Dangerous animals (sharks, bear, etc.)
2. Sickness / disease
3. Rain / wind / bad weather
4. Anxiety and negative thoughts
5. Failure

List out five ways you’d like to extend the capabilities of your body

1. Be able to breathe underwater
2. Never get tired
3. Be able to make decisions instantly
4. Improve immune system, never get sick again
5. Mind reading 

Choose one of the ten items you listed above.

As someone who gets sick very often, whether it be migraines, colds, etc., I want to create wearable art that protects myself from sickness and disease for my project. While there are preventative drugs, vitamins, and other remedies people can take to prevent them from getting sick, there is really nothing that can truly guarantee protection from illness. Sickness could derive from many triggers, like germs, weather changes, lack of sleep, poor diet, or just having a poor immune system, so the wearable device would be able to defend me from sickness caused by all of these things. For this project, I will create wearable art that protects me from germs and sickness, and that improves my immune system to allow me to never get sick again.

List out 10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project.

1. Mask

2. Hasmat suit

3. Medicine

4. Plants / Nature

5. Doctors

6. Bad weather

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7. Gloves

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8. Tissues

9. Pharmacy

10. Sleep

Step 2

Title: Pulse

Artist: Jan Van Der Laan

Inspiration: I like the free-flowing, organic form of this piece that almost resembles a filter, and its theme of unattainable purity, so I plan to borrow these aspects as I make wearable art that “purifies” and “filters” the human body from sickness. 

Step 3

Step 2

Artist: Yanobe Kenji

Work Title: Atom Suit

Attribute/Strategy I intend to borrow from the piece: The strategy I intend to borrow from the piece is the combination of tools commonly used in areas of high radiation with armor literally made from lead. I like how the protective gear already has Geiger counters attached which makes it convenient instead of having to occupy your hands with one.

Step 3: Sketches

Artist: Olu Amoda

Work Title: Street Vendor – Monsura Agbo I, 2019

Attribute: In Amoda’s work, he uses symbols of real people to create a mix of storytelling, repurposing scraps of metal to convey these stories. To some, this sculpture may simply seem like an expression of Amoda’s fascination with a street seller desperate to make sales. However, to me, this work represents much more. It symbolizes sacrifice and resilience in the midst of a discouraging atmosphere. In the Nigerian economy, resources such as water and food are becoming increasingly scarce, and the seller’s desperation to make sales in this environment symbolizes resilience. This is a motivating factor I would like to explore in my own work.

I want to incorporate my understanding of the angle at which the head is positioned into my own piece. The downward-facing head reflects the discouragement caused by the circumstances, yet the balance of the items on the head continues to convey the notion of resilience. This is a theme I wish to carry through in my own project.

1. List out five dangers you’d like to protect yourself from. (These could be environmental dangers, your own impulses, “frienemies”, aggressive dogs, nuclear war, worrisome thoughts, etc.)

• Procrastination
• Low energy
• Poverty
• Liars
• Depressive thoughts

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2. List out five ways you’d like to extend the capabilities of your body. (e.g., be stronger, be taller, be more flexible, be able to breathe underwater, be able to go without food, able to think more clearly, more comfortable around strangers, etc.)

• Have an immune system that prevents me from ever getting sick—the strongest immune system in the world.
• Spread positivity to anyone, everywhere I go.
• Super speed and efficiency.
• Great wisdom.
• Easy discernment—being able to make the correct decisions that are best for me and the people around me.

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3. Choose one of the ten items you listed above—this will be the purpose of your wearable art project.

• Easy discernment—being able to make the correct decisions that are best for me and the people around me.

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4. Tell why you chose to design a work of art that will protect/extend the body in this way.

I chose this purpose because during the Thanksgiving break, I found myself in situations where I didn’t have enough time to rest, and the thing I prayed for the most was the spirit of discernment—to make the correct decisions for myself and those involved in what I was going through. Having the ability to make clear and unquestionable decisions is a gift I strive to maintain.

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5. Give some more information on the purpose of your project. Explain its function in depth.

The spirit of discernment is something I have made a major prayer point in my life, as I feel like I’ve been making bad decisions recently. I often reflect on Proverbs 3:5, which says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding.” This verse reminds me to trust in divine guidance, rather than relying on my own limited perspective. The purpose of my wearable art is to serve as a reminder and a tool for grounding myself in wisdom and clarity, helping me to make decisions with confidence. It will act as both a protective shield against impulsive decisions and a physical symbol of my spiritual practice of discernment.

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6. List out 10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project.

• Church
• Home
• Family
• Friends
• School
• Research institute
• The woods
• Laptop
• Cooking
• Walking
• For visual research, find an image for each of the 10 people/places/things that you listed above and include them in your post on the private class website.

`Church

Home

Family 

Friends

Research Institute

Woods

Laptop

Cooking

Walking

Five dangers I’d like to protect myself from:

• Venoms / poisons
• Diseases
• Sharks
• Radiation
• Bad Drivers

Five ways I’d like to extend the capabilities of my body:

• Better endurance (respiratory, circulatory, etc.)
• Invulnerability (denser / stronger muscles?)
• Survive in Zero / Low oxygen environments
• Fireproof
• Faster reaction time

Out of all these, I choose radiation to be the main focus of the project. I chose radiation because the idea of it being an “invisible danger” always interested me. How can you defend yourself against something that is invisible and can kill you after only being exposed to it for a couple of seconds? Currently there is no full proof equipment or gear that guarantees protection from ionizing levels of radiation. And radiation is something that we as humans have studied and learned so much about. Radioactive materials like uranium and plutonium are used in power plants for energy, and yet it is one of the deadliest substances to be around with zero guarantee of survival after coming into contact with such materials. That explains why we bury our nuclear waste deep underground. My project aims to remove these issues by guaranteeing survival when coming into contact with radioactive materials. I’m thinking of various pieces of protective armor and other gear that will have some components made out of lead.

10 Things Associated with the Purpose:

Visual References of my 10 choices:

Research Step 1

List 5 dangers to protect yourself from:

Hyperthermia
Boredom
Addiction
Breaking bones
Starvation

List 5 ways to extend the capabilities of your body:

Living longer/immortality
Needing no sleep
Flying
Reading minds
Hardened skin

Chosen topic: Hardening skin for protection

I choose this topic because being able to harden your skin provides extra protection and a sense of security for a person. You can use this to protect yourself or the people around you in dangerous situations. It can protect you from weapons, car crashes, falling from high heights, etc. Hardened skin can also protect the person from harsh weather or climate change. Tougher skin can help survive in extreme heat or fire, along with freezing cold temperatures as well. It is an effective solution to a wide range of problems and helps the person adapt to a difficult situation.

List out 10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project:

1. Skin

2. Metal (for strength of skin)

3. Scales (hardened skin will resemble scales for aesthetic)

4. Sheild/protection

5. Weapons (skin will protect against blunt forces)

6. Fire (can protect against extreme heat)

7. Snow/ice (can protect against extremely cold temperatures)

8. Bulletproof vest (can deflect bullets)

9. Punch/strength (skin gives strength to user for protection)

10. Heights/falling (skin absorbs impact if user falls from great height)

Research Step 2

Artist: Jennifer McCurdy
Work Title: Wind Vessel
Attribute/Strategy I intend to borrow from the piece: This ceramic design flows very smoothly and efficiently, similar to how I want the hardened skin/armor to flow over the skin of the user. I want it to be aesthetically pleasing to watch the product “wrap” around the skin and take over.

Research Step 3

Step 1: Choose and Clarify Purpose of Wearable Art

List 5 dangers to protect yourself from:

1. Protection from extreme temperatures: cold and heat resistant
2. Protection from sickness/enehanced immune system
3. Protect from misinformation – being misled by false information, scams, propaganda
4. Protection from addiction (technology)
5. Protection from agricultural hazards/Protection from hunger

List 5 ways to extend the capabilities of your body

1. Be able to multitask
2. Nap wherever/able to go without long periods of sleep
3. Enhanced memory: remember every detail of what you see or hear perfectly.
4. Time perception control – speed up and slow down time
5. Heightened senses (Be able to tune out other things people, drectional hearing, amplified eyesight, etc.)

Chosen topic: Protection from agricultural hazards (water pollution, air pollution, drought, pesticides, deforestation)/Protection from hunger

I have chosen to create a sustainable and smart agricultural suit that protects the user from dangers of climate change and hazards of traditional agriculture by providing them with ways to cultivate their own food supply locally and conveniently. Farming consumes 70% of water used globally, and agricultural processes are costly to maintain, both in time and energy. The smart agriculture suit will allow the user to control and grow their own produce that is more sustainable and is protected from typical hazards and dangers of traditional agriculture such as air pollution and pesticides. Since the plants are grown directly on the suit and monitored and taken care of with sensors, the user is assured of having produce that is organic and protected by harmful chemicals and emissions. Moreover, automated technology such as smart irrigation will conserve the amount of water used while providing plants with sufficient nutrients, therefore reducing the dangers associated with water pollution and drought. The portable nature of the suit and the nonessential need for land and copious amounts of soil would lessen the harmful effects of deforestation. Overall, this agricultural suit provides the user with a customizable farming experience that protects them from the hazards of agriculture practices, while reducing their harmful impact from traditional farming methods.

List out 10 tangible people/places/things that are associated with the purpose of your project.

1. Smart irrigation
2. Solar panels
3. Grow lights
4. Smart monitoring for agriculture
5. Plants and produce
6. Vertical farming
7. Gardening tools
8. Soil and seedling containers
9. Utility vest
10. Utility belt
11. Farming overalls

Step 2: Borrow a Strategy

Artist:  Lloyd Godman
Work Title: Alpha Station I, 2013
Attribute/Strategy I intend to borrow from the piece:
Lloyd Godman’s work, Alpha Station I 2013, aimed to create resilient, low maintenance living sculpture that sustainably integrated plants in urban settings; I intend to borrow the low maintenance aspects of the sculpture in my project as well as the idea to design with space for long term growth of the plants.

Step 3: Sketches