Body-ody-ody
I might not have any physical proof that I’ve been working on my thesis but I’ve been thinking about my project a lot, believe me! I recently re-started going to therapy. For someone who exclusively lives in her head and in the future, I think it is really funny that out of the three projects I made last year they are all kinetic sculptures that depict body parts. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something?!
I’ve never had a great relationship with my body. My body image has always been crap.
I don’t really take care of it either. I’m not one for long skin care routines or workouts. I don’t put much time into take care of my hair or cooking for myself. I’m so busy or worried about the future or my never-ending to do list that I don’t prioritize the physical here and now. It’s never really been that important to me. I am realizing that some of these rituals are an expression of self-love and I want to learn to practice them more often.
Outside looking in. When my anxiety is really bad I cannot get out of my head, with all my spiraling thoughts. It makes it really hard for me to be in the present moment and feel myself in physical reality.
Thots, Questions, Keywords
technology as portraits, body as mechanism, priyanka as mechanisms, self-portrait
Why do I want to make myself known through these mechanisms?
Cyborg, post-human
Woman/female bodies, bodies under attack
Embodiment, anxiety, depression - how does my anxiety manifest itself in my body?
bio something?! human being in nature, human being is nature
Reading List
On hand
So missed the presentation from the librarian about how to do research at our library. I do plan on reaching out to her soon, but I honestly just googled books on the body and I decided to start with these for my research. As I’ve been thinking about my project, I feel these three books are a good starting point and offer a broad array of POV.
Also, I am a firm believer in judging books by their covers…
Book on embodiment
Anthology of horror stories written by trans or non-binary authors
Reading for “Multispecies Theory” class in IDM. Bodies, environment, nature, the works!
Future Reading
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk - this is kind of a long one, might be good for winter break
A Cyborg Manifesto, Donna J Haraway - tried reading the first two chapters of this last week and it is … dense. Need to try again
Recommendations from Friends
The Mindbody Perscription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain, John E. Sarno M.D.
The Wounded Story Teller: Body, Illness, Ethics, Arthur W Frank
Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado
Further Research
Wow! I’ve gathered a lot of resources dealing with the human body in such a short time, also without consulting any “experts” yet. I do think I want to know more about the history of portraiture. Who are the people who got portraits made of themselves? What about self portraits? Why were they made? What cultural or historical significance do portraits serve? Etc etc etc
Experts for Interview
Blair Simmons - IMA Professor, artist, curator, story teller, and everything! She teaches many classes in her department among which is a class called Useless Machines. She also has a sculptural series called Archive of Digital Portraits in which she casts technological items in concrete and exposes them by chipping away with hammers and chisels.
Elizabeth Hénaff - computational biologist, artist, and assistant professor at IDM. She teaches a course called “Multispecies Theory: Design for the More-Than-Human”. Still need to do a bit more research on her work and her class but this seems really relevant to my project!
Would Danny Rozin also be a good person to interview?! Or Gabe BC? Lots of work on reflection, right?!
Path Forward
Next Two Weeks
Start reading my books, look at library presentation you missed
Think up questions for Blair and schedule an interview for next week
Revisit Womb/Washing Machine
Bring into school, get it working right, finish putting it together
Finish writing up documentation and book an appointment with the Doc Lab
Start designing a prototype for brain circuit for Digi Fab class. This could potentially be a part of my thesis
And Beyond
Think up questions for Dr. Hénaff and reach out to her
Continue working on brain circuit
Body part brain storm, how do I relate to my own body?
Revisit Lungs sculpture
Ideas: lil wooden guy, nipples (3D modeling), eyes (video?)