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joshbaxterbct · 6 years

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In the Digital Age, which is also referred to as the Information Age, The Computer Age and the third Industrial Revolution (Debjani, 2014), we have become obsessed with technology and how it enhances our human condition (Ferrando, 2013). “Obsession”, as a wearable art piece puts this digital fixation under the microscope to highlight technology’s viral nature and the physical reality of such behaviour. This reality being electronic waste - the by-product of our digital obsession. Material conscious design elements aim to embody this idea both conceptually and physically. Ethernet and fibre optic cables consume the body as if humanity has become trapped within technology’s viral grasp. The intention of this is to bestow personal reflection on where each of us fits within the global problem of e-waste.

The relationship we have with technology in this day and age is more intimate than ever before, which leads us to forget about the physical implications of our digital lifestyles (Anderson, 2003). This lifestyle now being more reliant than ever before on technology which forms the basis for the obsession we have decided to comment on. The intention of this commentary is not to frame technology in a negative light but to promote reflection on what in our relationship with technology needs to change to help us move towards a sustainable future. The conceptual basis of this commentary was framed out of the core themes within the study. The two themes that set the precedence for this concept were the Anthropocene and Transhumanism. Discovered within these themes were quite obvious parallels between Transhuman concepts as a core foundation for the consequences outlined within the Anthropocene. The parallels drawn were obvious as Transhumanism dictated that humanity was ever more reliant on technology through upgrading/enhancing our lives (Lilley, 2013). The Anthropocene highlighted how this fixation with technological enhancement has a physical footprint (Ellis, 2018). This physical footprint formed the basis for the materials used within the garment. E-waste. Following this conceptual study were other elements that influenced the position of the commentary. Although the two key themes have been highlighted above, there were others. For instance the “Under the Microscope” theme within the World of Wearable Arts was a catalyst to dig deeper into the parallels between the core themes. From this exploration we discovered a cross-over between humanity’s obsession following viral behaviours. This lead us to summarise the obsession as a virus, with e-waste being one of the key symptoms. The basis for this comparison came from a brief look at biomimicry and using it as a means of design ideation (Kennedy, Fecheyr-Lippens, Bor-Kai, Niewiarowski, Kolodziej, 2015).

Drawing from these concepts the aim was to create a physical embodiment of this obsession. One that would provoke reflection about an individual’s own contribution to the overall problem of e-waste. This was a pretty clear path towards using e-waste itself as our core material for the garment. Due to the nature of e-waste it is difficult to impose a design onto as the base material is ever changing and inconsistent. Therefore, this project has been material lead in its design process as there needed to be an understanding of material properties in order find the possibilities of its application.

After being immersed in e-waste the physical reality presented itself through a recurring material which were discarded Ethernet cables. Through isolating the material we were able to let the material drive the design as previously stated. Unintentionally, through this material study the garment became themed around connectivity within the Digital Age. This highlighted a link between the intended purpose of the material being a tool for technical communication and then it’s ability to become a medium to communicate the commentary within this project. Allowing the concept to be embodied in the design both physically and conceptually re-contextualized our understanding of the material. Ethernet cables then became a representation of the commentary proposed with our concept. The material embodiment drawing from a New-Materialist way of thinking (Parikka, 2012).

Recent trends in e-waste production prove that there is a need to highlight our ever-growing relationship with technology (Kumar, Holuszko, Espinosa, 2017). To protect ourselves against our own obsession we need to be aware of it and ensure we’re doing what we can to minimise its physical impact. As technology will always advance in what seems like an infinite way, our planet is finite. This project aims to continue the needed commentary on our relationship with technology and what within it needs to change moving into the future (Anderson, 2015).

References:

Roy, D. (2014). Cinema in the Age of Digital Revolution.

Ferrando, F. (2013). Posthumanism, transhumanism, antihumanism, metahumanism, and new materialisms. Existenz, 8(2), 26-32.

Anderson, W. T. (2003). Augmentation, symbiosis, transcendence: technology and the future (s) of human identity. Futures, 35(5), 535-546.

Lilley, S. (2013). Transhumanism and Society: The Social Debate Over Human Enhancement. Dordrecht: Springer.

Ellis, E. C. (2018). Anthropocene: a very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Kennedy, E., Fecheyr-Lippens, D., Bor-Kai, H., Niewiarowski, P. H., & Kolodziej, M. (2015). Biomimicry: A Path to Sustainable Innovation. Design Issues, 31(3), 66-73. doi:10.1162/DESI_a_00339 Parikka, J. (2012). New materialism as media theory: Medianatures and dirty matter. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 9(1), 95-100. Kumar, A., Holuszko, M., & Espinosa, D. C. R. (2017). E-waste: an overview on generation, collection, legislation and recycling practices. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 122, 32-42.

Anderson, K. (2015). Ethics, Ecology, and the Future: Art and Design Face the Anthropocene. Leonardo, 48(4), 338-347. doi:10.1162/LEON_a_01087

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