The idea for this “solution” was to create a device that would restrict the movement of a dancer’s arms. I attended a Waltz class, and in this class we had to keep our arms up in a specific position for long periods of time. Dancers use elastic bands to stretch and train muscles, so I decided to create a prototype for a device that would serve to help dancers train their arm muscles by forcing them to have a harder time keeping their arms up. I mimicked the position of the elastic band that would go around the arms of a dancer using two belts attached to a body suit.
Tools used 1. White Tile (To avoid staining the table and white allows people to see dirt and lint easily) 2. Dotting Tool 3. Acrylic Roller/Brayer 4. Wire Cutter 5. Wax Carving Tool
Sketches of 5 tools used
Idea 1: Anti-lint Apron
Anti-Lint Apron
The idea is to allow the artist to remove fabric lints easily while making polymer clay. This is to avoid having lints trap in the clay. The velcro, sticky sheet from lint roller and fuzzy pads are all tools used to remove the lints. There is also a pocket for the artist to put other tools that he or she wishes to use.
Apron PrototypeApron Model (Strings are adjustable according to the artists’ preference and height)
Creative practice Dance painting (to sum up this practice in a sentence, it is where dancers dunk themselves in paint and dance on a canvas to create art)
Tools used in dance painting 1. Canvas 2. Loudspeaker (for music) 3. Bricks (to act as paperweight for the canvas) 4. Paint 5. Bowls (to hold paint) 6. Squeeze bottles (to spray paint) 7. Human body (medium for art creation)
Sketch of tools used in dance painting
Idea 1: Wearable dance painting studio for dancers with sensitiveskin
The motivation behind this wearable dance painting studio is to help dancers who have sensitive skin to participate in dance painting. They will not be able to pour paint over themselves as it will trigger an allergic reaction as a result of the chemicals in oil paint. Hence, this is a ‘neater’ version of dance painting where dancers take spray paint cans from a belt+tray device and create art by dancing in a cylindrical canvas held upright by supporting stands. This way, they need not pour oil paint over themselves. By having the device worn at the hip area, there is minimal disruption to the dance movements and art performance. There is also a sling pouch slung across the dancer’s back to hold the supporting stands and canvas to make the studio portable. The sling bag is on the back as the canvas and supporting stands are long. Transporting the items will be easier if they were carried on the back (does not interfere with bending).
Scaled-down model of idea 1
Working prototype for idea 1 (belt+tray device)
Idea 2: Nonsense wearable dance painting studio that impedes the art form
The gist of this wearable studio is to have a shirt, pants and wristlets full of paint brushes protruding out of them. This idea does not work because firstly, how are the dancers going to get the paint onto the brushes? They will either have to take the brushes out one by one and dip them in paint, or to jump into a pool of paint for efficiency’s sake. Secondly, in order to get the paint onto the canvas, close contact with the canvas has to be made. This limits the dance movements and disrupt the performance. Hence, this idea does not solve any problem.
Reflection After today’s lecture, I realised that one important element is lacking in my ideas for this assignment. That is, my ideas do not include any form of futuristic element (i.e. technological advancement), which is required for the final project. These ideas are simply alternatives to how dance painting is performed today. Hence, to address this issue, I could possibly introduce a science fiction element to my ideas by creating a suit that sprays paint out of it. The dancer will have to think of the colour and spray pattern in his/her brain while dancing, and the suit will sense the mental information from the brain waves and execute what the dancer wishes accordingly.
Drawing 1: A practical solution for those on-the-go but want to print shirt with their very own design as and when they desire. Wearable studio consists of a set of t-shirt for larger tools (flat surface and silkscreen) and shorts for smaller, lighter equipment (paint etc). Mesh is used in place of fabric to allow users to find their equipment easily.
Top (Front)Top (Front)Top (Front)Top (Back)Bottoms
With inspirations from silkscreen printing machines, perhaps an added feature could be having more than one printing surface and silkscreens. Not only can users speed up the printing and drying process if multiple shirts are involved, users can perhaps use different silkscreens for different designs and colours.
Drawing 2: (Absurd) A “sticky” jumpsuit that literally sticks to anything of any weight using suction technology. Users can “stick” tools for screen-printing onto their body, even food if they happen to be hungry during screen-printing session. Suction technology works by creating vacuum condition between item and the jumpsuit. Users can sit down using removable butt pads.
