Second Skin: Sensory Deprivation A誰sha De Barros Lopes & Nichole Wong
Sensory Deprivation
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ur idea of a personal space is the ability to isolate oneself. Sight, hearing and communication are aspects that must be identified in the design. A real life example of this may be when commuters wear headphones to avoid interaction with their environment. Another example may be when watching horror films one tends to deprive themselves of sight, hearing and touch using their arms. Therefore, sensory deprivation allows one to be alone in their thoughts without any external hindrance.
Our second skin explores the idea of sensory deprivation, specifically hearing, as means of avoiding social interaction in order to remove oneself from the context of the situation. Emotion Effect:
To achieve as sense of isolation
Precedent no. 1
An Introvert’s Transformation to Extroversion_ by Lillian Hoplyte Mushi
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his design created by Mushi relates to the concept of personal space and emphasizes the notion of isolation through the deprivation of senses. The project according to Mushi is to “explore how introverts use isolation as a mechanism for social recharge as well as a way to navigate social situations”. Mushi has created a pleated hood that is able to change colour depending on the fluctuation in body heat. These fluctuations of heat are related to the wearer’s emotions, primarily shyness and embarrassment. The design represents the battleground between personal space and public space boundaries. Furthermore, it devises a means of forming a balance between blending in and standing out. In regards to material, it is able to expand and collapse depending on the wearer’s mood, either introverted or extroverted. This design was displayed as the New Designers graduate exhibition in London.
Precedent no. 2
Atmospheric Reentry_by Maiko Takeda
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akeda’s project focuses on encapsulating the heard and upper torso in order to create personal space. He expresses his motives as wanting to “create ethereal experiences for the wearer through the pieces”. On top of that, the designs also represent the concept of sensory deprivation in limiting both sight and hearing. The adornments are made of transparent plastics spikes tinted with colour gradients held in place between sections of acrylic joined by small silver rings. The spikes and colours used in the designs project a sense of fear against the spectator, therefore providing the wearer an increase and their sense of personal space.
SketCHES
SectioNing and Materiality out or distort sound. It was found that while the newspaper produced an aesthetically pleasing effect, it did not really block out sound. However, the stockings proved useful and enabled further development and flexibility with the shape of the second skin. Another possibility that was explored was tieing of the stocking. This was unsuccessful with sound proofing. Glueing the stocking using paper mache methods were also looked at. But this did not make the stocking any stronger to futher test out other sectioning techniques such as using the stocking itself as a sectioning material.
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ur choice of materials for this project plays a determining role in the success of creating personal space and achieving sensory deprivation. This is because the material must above all, be able to be constructed in to a structure that uses sectioning as a material system. Furthermore, the type of material used will influence the degree of sound-proofing and/ or distortion. The methodology that we have adopted is to work from the material to design. The first material we tested to create sectioning was newspaper and stockings. Balls of newspaper were scrunched and pushed in to the stocking in hope to create a compact form that will block
The most successfull material is using bean bag filling. Not only does it distort sound, it is also aeathetically pleasing. The form that produced as a prototype showed that there is room for more sectioning in order to further the sectioning or enclosing effect to create isolation. The previous design and prototype that was experimented consisted of an aluminium plate that was used with the intention to improve the attachment of the headpiece to the shoulders of the wearer. Furthermore, it was added with the idea as to create greater complexity to the design. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of both material and geometrical shape prevented harmonisation between it and the headpiece, and as a result was seen as a separate ornament entirely. Various ideas were proposed, however, a decision was made that the plate did not encompass the section and profile concept effectively.
Section and profile is understood as the creation of a continual large surface that is composed of separate pieces. The final fabrication model consists of numerous stockings, containing Styrofoam beans, which have been sealed and attached to one another. The interlocking of the stockings and the designated string ties has created multiple sections that create the profile.
Final Design
Rhino model