Description
As a consequence of a motorcycle accident on an interstate a number of years ago, which resulted in the amputation of a leg, my relationship to the built environment was forever changed. The landscape around me now presents a different level of challenge, not just to navigate but to also simply exist in with a reasonable expectation of comfort and utility. As a designer and maker with a strong awareness of the physical and emotional challenges living in a world built for the able bodied, it became an increasingly imperative topic for me to study. Changing Positions is the result of these explorations. I am investigating the relationship between our bodies and common furniture objects, and how their differences affect our ability to fully utilize these objects. Architectural forms and furniture are designed to allow typically shaped and typically equipped people to be comfortable and functional in their homes and places of business. Not everybody meets these standard specifications and, as a result, whole groups of people have been marginalized and designed out of active participation in society. A different kind of design paradigm is required to include all people in all of life's activities. I am currently drawing on my own personal history, losing a leg due to trauma, and building works relevant to my experience of adapting to my changed abilities. Some of the pieces in Changing Positions explore the fragile emotions I experienced after this life altering event and others embrace the positive outcomes of acceptance and sharing through performance. At the core of Changing Positions is furniture based work about being functional and comfortable over the course of a regular day. The works speak to the common actions of walking, sitting, and dealing with stairs. In this investigation, the aesthetic languages of furniture, tools, architecture, and prosthetics are combined to create hybrid objects that suggest solutions to better allow for these common actions. Changing Positions was installed in the University Gallery at San Diego State University from April 20-30 2015. Images of the installation are on file with the School of Art and Design.
