A ROOT OF INSOUCIANCE: ATTENTION
The collection started with my motivation to study and think about the ultimate definition of the persona satisfaction- Eudaimonia. This is an opportunity to state my interpretation of individualism, utilitarianism, and the vast moral values I do not yet know. We all spend time day by day forming relationships. Within what reasonable boundary can such personal life satisfaction be maximized without infringing on others’ boundaries? The message I present is ironically to be more concerned with each other. Waterman, the author of the famous psychology paper “Two Concepts of Well Being” describes the concept of eudaimonia in the term of personal expression, meaning that each individual finds his or her true self according to their values and purposes. Through research phases, I started to understand how humans seek their wellbeing by excluding uncomfortable truths that they deny facing and defend utilitarianism. Which means, we do not care for each other and it simultaneously became the ‘trend’ in modern days. That is the moment when the insouciance of majorities turns in to the shadows of minorities.
We are human beings who exist in the ambiguous community of a society. Individualism is not a defense of a lack of apathy. I would like to actively criticize the moment when apathy toward each other turns into cruelty in modern society. In the collection, symbolic shapes of ‘squares’ that represent individuals and the community are shown in two different categories. First, identical sizes but subtly different small squares hand-painted and positioned on my textile development. They are colored with high saturated tones, using acrylic paints and thermo pigments. Second, the silhouettes of the looks contain angled square shapes, and composed of the unique discoveries that I figured out through experiments and draping. Complicate patterns and pleats that create 3D structured shapes are the characteristics of the garments. The process of silhouette building itself imply the message that human beings must have interactions. Contradict to the high saturated squares that represent individuals, grey and low saturated color base symbolize aloofness society. Since the first semester, I focused on adding depth to the textile by layering the fabrics, and each fabrication with different details of painting, fabric dye, and pigmented. By subtly filing up the different kinds of textiles, I could reach the point that the glance of the silhouette breath itself. However, all the details are hidden behind one layer in the conclusion so that people must step upfront in order to fulfill their desire to catch the details.
In order to convey that we should take care of each other and do close look at minorities around you, I set up the device that needs ‘attention and time’ in order to discover a certain value in my collection. Thermo pigment is the specific dyes that it only reacts when human temperature touches it. Only by wearing it, or touching it, and give a close look at the looks, finally the values adherent and glows. They can never be noticed unless you take ‘attention’. The eager outcome I want to gather throughout this collection is the emotions of the audience after the reaction. Through those emotions, both wearers and the engaging audiences became the active performer to imagine the future of our society when they take ‘time and attention’ to the individuals and minorities and could be rewarded to discover the value behind what they didn’t expect. Emotions are borderless, expect less, and only as it is.
Now, attention.