Extending the Body / Stretching the Skin

The second half of my fibres unit in Australia is titled Extending the Body / Stretching the Skin. This project will consider the potential extension of the body's envelope and consider how fabrics may interface with the body and appear to imitate skin.

My initial thoughts

• Knitted surface is something that I may investigate in terms of skin and surface
• Clothes can be seen to be an extension of our own skin and look almost shell like without a body filling in the negative space
• Latex could be used as a skin like surface
• Stockings/tights become a second layer of skin and are often coloured to look/improve our own skin
• Reptiles shed skin in replace for a new one, why and how does this process occur?
• vintage pattern pieces - imitate skin

Here are some of my favourite examples of artist research from the initial presentation by my tutor.

I want to explore how these themes and ideas can be used within my own work.

Freddie Robbins The Perfect Skins 2007

Trace of skin left behind through knitted surface

Rebecca Horn Finger Gloves 1993

Extension of finger, alters sense of touch and use of fingers

Tracey Emin Everyone I have ever slept with 1995 

Using the tent as an extension of own body. Personification of tent as body.

Yoan Capote Casados 2004

Extended shoe that becomes impractical.