Space in Limbo
What is soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.
~Ray Charles
Gauze, thread, fabric starch, tea
2011
Clothing is an appropriate medium for which to explore the human condition of immortality. Most importantly, it has been a vital component in funerary rituals all over the world. For some cultures, it is customary for the deceased to be buried in extravagant cloth, insuring that their soul will be granted access into the afterlife. For others, it is common for the bereaved to dress in a specific color, sometimes for extended periods, as a way of publicly announcing their personal loss.
As part of our mundane existence, however, an individual’s garments act as an interface between their private and public image: they can communicate one’s personality, social status, and occupation. Essentially, they embody a person’s identity. And the essence of an individual’s life extends beyond the scope of a person’s lifetime through these physical, tangible, garments.
With the application of semi-transparent clothing, I am creating a space in limbo, located somewhere between the materiality of the garments and the non-materiality of human absence. It is a place that may be familiar to those who have experienced their own loss, characterized by a sense of presence despite an absence. During this process, many individuals find consolation in the belief of a non-physical self that exists apart from the corporeal body. This piece invites such contemplation.
2011
Clothing is an appropriate medium for which to explore the human condition of immortality. Most importantly, it has been a vital component in funerary rituals all over the world. For some cultures, it is customary for the deceased to be buried in extravagant cloth, insuring that their soul will be granted access into the afterlife. For others, it is common for the bereaved to dress in a specific color, sometimes for extended periods, as a way of publicly announcing their personal loss.
As part of our mundane existence, however, an individual’s garments act as an interface between their private and public image: they can communicate one’s personality, social status, and occupation. Essentially, they embody a person’s identity. And the essence of an individual’s life extends beyond the scope of a person’s lifetime through these physical, tangible, garments.
With the application of semi-transparent clothing, I am creating a space in limbo, located somewhere between the materiality of the garments and the non-materiality of human absence. It is a place that may be familiar to those who have experienced their own loss, characterized by a sense of presence despite an absence. During this process, many individuals find consolation in the belief of a non-physical self that exists apart from the corporeal body. This piece invites such contemplation.
