Accessories to Combat Detrioration

After spending a considerable amount of time looking into the metamorphosis associated with moving into old age - I’m now interested in exploring the move into combatting deterioration.

- Hearing Aids

I want to look at the shapes of hearing aids more than for their actual purpose: as I’m moving away looking more broadly at the materials, shapes, silhouette and connections of the object. I particularly like how odd the hearing aid is when you look at it in more depth. I suppose this makes sense as the actual shape of the ear is strange in itself. Though I chose these specific images of hearing aids as I love the translucency of them: they are very textural and shiny, and are a material that I don’t normally interact with on the day to day. Moving forward with my materials research, I want to try and recreate these textures, perhaps through hot glue? Of the accessories I’m exploring this is the one that I have found the most intriguing and inspiring so I will include it more in my work than the others

- Dentures, false teeth

This might be interesting to explore as a follow on from my research about bones: teeth are bones but somehow feel so much more unsettling. I like the image of false teeth in water glass. I might try and knit teeth like this, using reddish yarn to represent the gums and then knit using beads to catch this effect. Though I should be careful that I steer away from the comedic with this: I don’t want to make something too humorous as it can take away from the message I’m trying to send (Naomi and advised this and I want to stick to it).

- Zimmer frames

Structurally these could be really good to explore there’s lots to try with this. Mixing metal and knit could be a good mesh of hard and soft like I wanted to explore. Practically too, it could be good to utilise them in my work for sculptural purposes. I definitely want to collage with them at the very least. It’s an easy way to remain structural while also creating something that’s clearly associated with the elderly.

- bionic limbs

This is more of an afterthought, I’m not sure if I truly want to include this in my work but it could create some truly interesting fashion pieces. Making clothes for extra limbs, or fewer limbs could be provocative and interesting: both conceptually and visually. Though I’m most keen to look at bionic limbs in terms of making the elderly’s life easier.

The video below explores how important design is right now in aiding the elderly:

Research 3b

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