documenting process

spatial dynamics blog

[graceyin]

spatial dynamics synthesizing forms- IKEA instructional abortion sticker  Amy Coney Barrett’s recent Supreme Court confirmation as an associate justice was a ridiculous decision and ultimately, a huge loss for women and those who care about women and women’s rights. With suggestions of making abortion something that could be charged as a ‘murder’-- a decision that could ultimately lead to women being sentenced to death for getting an abortion-- it is an insanely scary time for women, as having autonomy and rights over our own bodies is now compromised and a topic that is up for debate. As a group, we chose to create a graphic that is based on these current events. We chose to have our graphic printed on bumper stickers, since they were the largest sticker format available on vistaprint, and we figured that stickers would last longer. We collaborated together with our varying degrees of experience with Adobe Illustrator and went through several drafts before landing on the final design. We wanted to take advantage of the long, linear format of the sticker and create a satirical IKEA “instructional” on how to DIY a clotheshanger abortion -- a method of abortion that has been used by women who do not have access to resources and safe abortion methods which is extremely dangerous and can result in hemorrhaging, infections and even worse consequences. We intended to create a very jarring visual that would be provocative and eye-catching. We then used text to give legitimate and helpful information including the NAF Hotline and hotline for Planned Parenthood as well as the link for Aid Access, a service that will provide the abortion pills to women and trans men that are within a certain frame of pregnancy  through the mail, and are open and flexible to price negotiation. Our main statement lies in our text “PROTECT ROE V. WADE or this will be the new normal” as a message saying that this archaic and dangerous form of abortion may become the new norm if abortion and miscarraige treatments are no longer accessible and even criminalized. Why must women face the consequences for a conception produced by two people? Why must women have to risk their lives just to have some semblance of independence and autonomy? Do we as a society love our women, when we deprive her of the ability to make decisions or when we antagonize her when she makes decisions so she can live a better life? Do we love our women when we tell her her life does not matter as much as a non existent being? These are all questions that I think about. Yes, ACB may be a woman, but regardless her beliefs and plans contribute to the toxic patriarchy that steps on the necks of women’s rights. This sticker is something that resonates with me personally and I enjoyed working on it with my group.

[graceyin]

spatial dynamics synthesizing forms-- “Anemones” I created this installation based on my previous prompt response where I created 50 tulle pom-poms. Based on the feedback I received for that project, I made an effort to push the visual further and to include a bit of a ‘narrative’. I used yarn that I bought from Savers and my handmade cardboard pom pom makers to make the pom poms. This was a little more difficult than the tulle pom pom project since this required more yarn There were two layers to this project-- one that is personal to my experiences and one that is created for the general person in mind. Growing up with two brothers with autism has always made me aware of the benefits of sensory objects and the therapeutic nature of them. Concentrating on a singular tactile object can help with sensory overloads, and in a way that I do not know how to explain, can calm someone down from a meltdown.  I created this idea of a pom pom carpet with my brothers in mind. I imagined this as something that could be engaging and allow someone to be able to process and handle their surrounding environment a bit better. Since I was thinking about my brothers while making this piece, I thought about their love for the ocean and decided to make this look like a sea floor of anemones and integrated little toy fish to give it a sense of play and life. Though it was created under the context of servicing the needs of those who need sensory stimulation in everyday life, I did want to make it so that this is inviting to the general public. I decided to take the entire idea of sea anemones further and try to really set this in an ocean environment. I borrowed a projector from the media center to project ocean footage over the pom poms, and it was interesting how different types of footage gave life to these ‘anemones’.  When it comes down to it, I sought to take a stressful aspect of my brothers’ condition and turn it into something that is visually pleasing and fun. In reality, it is really difficult to be positive while having siblings with autism. Life is not easy, and trying to turn negative situations into those of value and beauty feels impossible sometimes. However, I feel like trying to ‘find the light at the end of the tunnel’ per say, is essential to surviving and living. Being able to turn something that has brought stress and strain into something beautiful is a power that artists have and something that I want to continue doing. Just as it was said in the TED Talk by Theaster Gates, reshaping people’s imaginations and perspectives about topics is an integral part of creating. I have found that harnessing this ability is important to getting through the day and not letting negative situations become overwhelmingly heavy and overbearing on one’s mind. Overall, I wanted this installation to be interactive and enjoyable for the viewer, regardless of whether or not they have sensory needs. I wanted to create an immersive experience that ultimately reshapes the imagination and creates a fun visual.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Give voice; document process I chose to ‘give voice’ to some of the little voices that I hear when I go take a shower. In general, when it comes to showering, I find myself either not showering or showering for way too long whenever I am at a low and I do not realize the sounds around me. However, showering has always been a meditative activity for me-- it’s almost my personal form of a confessional-- and I enjoy coming out feeling cleansed and new. I tried to pay attention to all the little voices that contribute to my showering experience, from the lock of the door to the small drops of water from the bench. I do not know a lot of the logistics or how it actually affects the mind, but I think sound therapy is a valid means to calm the mind, and the noises that the water makes contribute to my showering experience. The same effect that I can compare it to is listening to white water in order to fall asleep better.

[graceyin]

 individual prompt- Part 2 of Develop a list of prompts; document process As opposed to my previous list of prompts which was a reflection of my anxiety in public places, I wanted to recreate my response to this prompt by creating another ‘script’ for myself today. I still deal with a lot of mental burden as a result of past mistakes that I still dwell on or previous experiences, so it is nice to create a mental script for the self that I am currently living in. I used an online website to write this list of prompts in a script form. I decided to type this out as opposed to writing it because that written script looked a lot like the little reminders that I would write for myself. Typing it was faster, and therefore I was able to quickly create a list. Since I was able to download it as well, it makes this list something that I can always refer to since I will not be able to lose it. (Especially now, since I am posting it). I chose to write this list in the form of a script because I think that these prompts, or reminders, are things that I have to rehearse for myself over and over to be able to function normally in life today. I think that it is healthy to create a method of reminding oneself to take care of themselves, especially if they are prone to forgetting or neglecting to do so.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Construct a confessional; document process I did not grow up with a Catholic background, but my understanding of a confessional is that it is a booth where one goes to and sits and talks about their wrongdoings to a priest. Since I don’t have a priest on hand, I just decided to “build” a confessional out of my closet and two of my bedsheets. I decided then to go into my confessional and just think about things I have screwed up and where I can go from there. Ultimately, I think I just manifested more negative thoughts, but at least that will keep my conscious of my actions. I am assuming that the purpose of confessing your sins is to admit under God that you have screwed up and to meditate on them? And perhaps try to come to terms with how you can move forward in life. I do not know how effective this is for people but I do think that the energy that one manifests does have to go somewhere, so if it works for people then it should be respected. If God is as forgiving as He made out to be, or if energy really works in a balance, I think that it is important to realize your screw-ups and if presenting them to the world helps with one’s growth, then that is commendable and valid.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Find fifty instances of nature between the cracks; document process Since I did not want to just take 50 pictures of all the moss growing in between the cracks of the sidewalk, I figured that in order to respond to this prompt, I would have to mold my definition of what ‘cracks’ are. Besides just being a break without a complete separation, in these photos I also played with the definition by picturing cracks as things that are sandwiched between artificial structures or nature within breaks in an environment. I also simply took pictures of nature growing within artificially crafted environments. By doing this, I was able to become a little more creative with the instances that I could photograph. Defining cracks as pockets, window screens, branches, fences-- I was able to look out and enjoy the bits of nature that are growing within the suburban and metropolitan area that I live in. It is impressive to me how resilient nature can be and how plants are able to grow even in seemingly inhospitable concrete habitats.

[graceyin]

individual prompt-  Copy something; copy that something; copy that something; and on; document process

According to an article I read linked here: https://qz.com/1064679/a-new-t-shirt-sewing-robot-can-make-as-many-shirts-per-hour-as-17-factory-workers/, apparently one human worker in a sewing line needs to make around 8 (8.3) shirts per hour. I compiled a bunch of old clothes, bedsheets and other repurposed textiles that I had and decided to copy a shirt pattern that I had developed a while back and it turned out that I had enough to make 8 shirts. I wanted to challenge myself to see how long it would take to meet a worker’s quota. I know that I almost definitely did not meet the same working conditions, machinery or other resources that these workers have to labor under, however I wanted to see what it would be like using the resources that I had. I timed and tried to document myself stitching together 8 shirts. I limited the amount of breaks that I gave myself, trying to not use the bathroom and only taking a break to turn on the light or close a window. At one point, my machine’s needle broke too. Even though it took significantly longer for me to complete 8 shirts, I felt like shit by the end of it. In general, the reason why I chose to do this is because I wanted to make a certain point about ethical consumption. I wanted to make a point that though machines are taking the place of people in many garment manufacturing factories, people are still being overworked to keep up with an overindulgent culture. I recognize that in our current state however, complete ethical consumption is not a viable option for most people and therefore people should not be shamed for not being able to live a ‘clean’ lifestyle.There is a difference though between purchasing something that one genuinely wants and likes and purchasing something for buying’s sake, impulsively or just to follow a trend. In general the reasons why someone purchases falls on a large spectrum, but I believe a middle ground for all of this is that items should be bought with thought and if it is possible to purchase something secondhand or through an ‘ethical’ company, that it should be done through those means. Through doing this, I learned to appreciate the clothing that I have and the work that goes behind it, no matter how cheap it seems  and it made me think about how I can change my choices as a consumer.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Clotheslines, Someone else’s socially distanced demo

I had some clothesline and clothing pins, and figured that I could use the clothesline to create an interesting scene and experiment with lights and shadows. I cut two lines and strung the clotheslines along some pretty unorthodox places-- the plug to the main light of my room near my ceiling to my door hinge and another line connecting to my wardrobe. The two clotheslines hang along the length side of my room so I am hoping my RA does not stop by at any point because I am sure this is a fire hazard. I like clotheslines because it is like a public display of one’s wardrobe or relevant textiles. I remember when I was younger, some of our neighbors would hang quilts or blankets to dry outside during the summer, and even though it is such a typical house errand, there was a level of pride put into the displays of laundry on these clotheslines. Seeing what is displayed on other people’s clothes lines is always fun. There is a certain level of satisfaction that comes from this form of domesticity. For my ‘display’ I wanted to hang some of the clothes I had made and a couple of other garments that I wear often. Since I could not string these clotheslines outside and create a more natural scene, I also followed Matthew’s AC socially distanced demo to add some ‘wind’ into my room and make the clothes look like they are drifting in a breeze.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Do something in a grocery store; document process

While my group and I were at Whole Foods, I decided to document the process of me getting my favorite snack-- Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies. I took a pic using my phone to pretend like the perspective was coming from the  box itself, by placing my phone within the section of the aisle and taking pictures of me grabbing my phone. I also tried to exemplify my delight during the process of discovering and then grabbing the box of snacks. In general, I wanted to just document the small piece of happiness in daily life that I get from small tasks such as treating myself during grocery shopping. Though it might become redundant, I think that the virus has really found its way into many facets of life, including routine errands such as grocery shopping. My joy has found itself coming out through small treats within domestic tasks, such as getting snacks during grocery rounds. Trying to find joy within the limited amount of activities that I am able to do is difficult but necessary during difficult times.

[graceyin]

group prompt- Design a new sport; play it; document process Based on our interactions during class, we created a series of ‘invisible sports’ to play outside. There are not really any rules besides not letting the invisible ball stop. However you want to move the ball is up to you so long as you keep it moving. We had a fun time playing it outside-- at one point I got confused who had the ball and where it was, but it did not really matter. We decided to play our matches outside in the space between North Hall and Nickerson, and it was funny because my friend who lived in Nickerson ended up witnessing the entire game and thought it was funny. In general, I feel like this new sport is very inclusive and funny since there is no real way of winning or losing, and also one is able to contribute to the game in any way they want to. Passing the ball relied on eye contact and communication and it was fun to vocalize as if we were playing a sport with actual physical properties.

[graceyin]

group prompt- Take a vacation at home; document process (Pics and video taken by Christine Baek)

Using whatever we had that screamed “Beach Day”, we reconvened in Kira’s room to take a vacation at home. We brought beach towels (in Kira’s case, a yoga mat), wore summer clothes, turned on a generic ocean soundtrack from Youtube and Kira rearranged some of her plants to create some semblance of a beach scene. It was kind of funny and sad to have to live this new reality of a ‘home-beach’ because of the virus, but we were able to enjoy ourselves with what we had.  I think a lot of people have had to compromise with the current situation and come up with different forms of ‘staycations’ but in all honesty, nothing beats reality for me. I have not gone to the beach in a long time, and it was really sad for me to not be able to go to one even after graduation. However ultimately, I think that the time I was able to spend with my fellow group members to revive an experience in a way that seems so ridiculous was an effective substitute. In my perspective,  the ways we have been able to scrounge up any sort of fun during a seemingly endless situation during the pandemic shows our ability to compromise and persevere. 

[graceyin]

group prompt- Illuminate brand loyalty at the grocery store; document process We took a walk to Whole Foods as a group, since that was the nearest grocery store to North. We were contemplating how we were going to illuminate brand loyalty, and decided to get a bunch of 365 organic boxes of cereal. Since I usually sit in the shopping cart whenever we go out, it just made sense to use me as a subject. Because of the ways the waiting lines have been organized in Whole Foods, the lines go into the aisles meaning there were many people watching us fill the cart with cereal boxes. It was kind of funny in the moment, since the energy we were exuding was so chaotic and we were causing a scene. I guess in a way over indulgence as a result of brand loyalty is what makes profits for corporate companies, but this does contribute to a wasteful and unsustainable lifestyle. In addition, unmoving brand loyalty is not a good thing either-- being unable to see the flaws in a product just because of loyalty to the brand name can be a harmful way to live life. It made me think about how many people were looking for alternatives to Goya beans once it turned out that they endorsed the Trump administration-- even in the grocery store, there are a lot attached to a brand name that should be considered.

[graceyin]

group prompt- turn dinner into a performance

(group photos and videos filmed by Jasmine Oliveros) We decided to turn dinner into a fancy event. We prepared our performance by going to Savers to purchase fancy attire and a centerpiece. For the dinner, we got dressed and did up, I brought my white bed sheet as a tablecloth. We chose the table in the upper quad that was directly under the spotlight just to be extra, and set up our artificial flower centerpiece. Just to contrast our entire formal setup, we decided to eat Met food-- which turned out to be steak, fitting well with our little performance. We had conversations about what our “rich person” persona would be-- Kira was married to a mafia boss, Matt was a trust fund kid, Christine was a bandage company CEO and I was married to Kira’s husband’s father. It was a funny conversation. Ultimately, having this sort of fun was refreshing. Given our current situation with the virus inhibiting us from having fulfilling social interactions, it was fun to prepare a dinner and be extra just for the sake of having fun. Like a lot of our reactions to these group prompts, ultimately the value within our actions lies in our ability to find fun and joy within very difficult circumstances that limit our extent of social interaction.

[graceyin]

https://youtu.be/QDnFWldXMms

individual prompt- Talk about your privilege; document process

I decided to respond to this prompt literally by filming myself talking about my privilege. As privilege goes, I talked about my parents and the privileges that they were able to provide for me. I think that many people might not like to discuss or recognize their privilege because it might diminish or devalue any effort or work ethic they personally have put into their life. I define privilege as the rights and situations that I did not work for but I am able to profit off of, so in my case, there is truly no way for me to really discuss my current quality of life without mentioning the sacrifices and efforts that both of my parents had to put in in order for me and my two brothers to have a good life. Because we do not have any relatives in the United States, my parents did not have any help and have had to work up the ladder through their own efforts and abilities. I wanted to give some tribute to the life that I am able to have right now, which came at the cost of the various sacrifices that my parents had to make.

[graceyin]

https://youtu.be/LEEH8qDLf7c

individual prompt- Call a loved one; document process I zoom called my mom and decided to document it. (Don’t worry, she knew.) Eventually, I got to see my entire family on the call. My calls with my mom are usually in “Chinglish”, a word we created combining Chinese and English. Today my youngest brother, Austin, decided to spice it up by speaking a little bit of French. We talked about relevant issues such as our house renovations, my college experience with the pom pom dress that we have dubbed “the Loofa Dress” so far, the brothers and whether my dog Charlie is ok or not. Airing out frustrations over certain things, a mini singing break with Austin where he sang his hit song “Bumbumbumbumbumbumblebee” and “Love in my Pocket” by Rich Brian and a Charlie cameo are all regular events to happen in our Facetimes or zoom calls. My family and I have gone through a lot of struggles this year so it was nice to be able to call them and to have a small break before continuing on with our lives. Rewatching the zoom recording makes me realize how loud I am but also how lucky I am to have a whole family that I can call. No matter how screwed up our lives get or all the shit we have had to go through, it’s reassuring that we’re all still together and can find some sort of happiness and a reason to laugh. 

[graceyin]

individual prompt- College Hill is physically elevated above the city of Providence; walk down the hill; contemplate city planning; walk back up the hill; document process

When I first moved in here, the first thing that struck out to me was the church that sat on College Hill. The clock on the steeple was pretty to me and it caught my attention. I walk up and down the hill several times a week so I compiled some of the images into this little collage from the top to my way back up. In terms of city planning, it was noticeable to me that RISD and Brown are both positioned on the top, overlooking everything below. It’s like two powerhouses sitting at the top. It made me consider how communities nearby may have possibly been gentrified or modified to accommodate two pricey and prestigious college campuses. Where I live there is a similar situation in the nearby town where the mansions, private schools and shopping square are built towards the top of the hill and as you go down, the town becomes less and less invested in. It put into perspective how lucky and privileged I am to be able to attend this school.

[graceyin]

individual prompt- Interact with non-human life; document process

Originally for this prompt I had planned on going to Prospect Park and seeing how many squirrels I could summon with my bag of trail mix, however I honestly think my interaction with this bee is more meaningful. I was on my way back up the hill from the mailroom when I noticed this bee right in the middle of the sidewalk, in the way of people walking. It was moving slightly but it looked like it was struggling. I used the edge of my ID to lift it since it was thin enough to slide under its body and I sat down with the bee on the RISD beach. I think maybe it was the exposure to the sunlight and also me deciding to just pet its furry behind, but bit by bit the bee started moving more rapidly and eventually it flew away. The process of it shaking itself up to move was a little moving and inspirational honestly. The video captures the moment right before it flew away. Because the sidewalk does not get hit with sunlight in the morning, I think the bee was simply too cold to fly when I had found it. In retrospect, I could find all sorts of deeper meanings behind my actions-- the declining global bee population, the effects of climate change on wildlife, etc.-- but in that moment, I saw a bug that was not in the right place and decided to move it because I did not want it to get stepped on. Ultimately, looking out for others is important, whether it is a fellow human or a bee on a sidewalk