Fourth of five from my senior degree project, survival kits.
Nylon, concrete, steel, leather, acrylic, glass, wood, bronze, brass, nickel.
"Have you ever played dress up? Have you ever stopped?"
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Sometime in high school, I wore this dangerously short mini skirt with these sky high block heels that made me feel like a six feet long pair of legs to a church service once or twice. I definitely sensed the eyes of both teenage boys and elderly Korean grandmothers, all probably holding their breath every time I bent over.
These days, I'll often opt for a more subdued, sexless, androgynous look. Sometimes I'll joke that I look like a 12 year old boy.
I'm still experimenting with the way I present, whether it's about evading attention or to command gaze, but it's always with public expectation in mind. As much as I want to dress for only myself, it'll never be true.
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When I was working at the wood or metal shops, of course, there are safety rules on what to wear, but I also dressed to look like I belonged there. Maybe there's some internalized sexism involved, but I used flannel, denim, leather, or accessorized PPE to communicate my competency or worthiness whether I was working as a student or a monitor.
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RISD Jewelry + Metalsmithing. Senior Degree Project. Spring 2019.