B O W T I E D

THE BODY IS NO LONGER A SITE OF ENDURANCE

NOW READY TO BE WITNESSED AND WORN

CLICK A BOW TO INITIATE SHOP

BOW VARIANT = (A BOW THAT ALMOST EXISTS, LOOP COLLAPSE, ABSENCE AS FORM)

BOW VARIANT = (RETIED, UNTIED, AND TIED AGAIN)

BOW VARIANT = (BOW STRETCHED BEYOND FUNCTION, STILL FUNCTIONAL)

BOW VARIANT = (PULLED, EDGES STRAINED, CENTER COMPRESSION, CONTROL REPLACES INTENTION)

BOW VARIANT = (TIED CORRECTLY ONCE, STARTING CONDITION)

BOW VARIANT = (BOW OVERDONE, BEYOND NECESSITY, DECORATION BECOMES LABOUR)

THE GESTURE

THIS PRODUCT EXAMINES THE BOW AS A REPEATED GESTURE STRIPPED OF SENTIMENT. THE ACT OF TYING - LOOPING, CROSSING, TIGHTENING - IS A LEARNED MOVEMENT EMBEDDED IN SYSTEMS OF PRESENTATION, LABOUR, AND SOCIAL COMPLIANCE. ACROSS SIX CONTROLLED VARIANTS, REPETITION UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITION STRIPS THE GESTURE OF SYMBOLIC SOFTNESS, REVEALING STRUCTURE, STRAIN AND ERROR.

SIX ATTEMPTS AT A BOW

ACROSS THE SIX WORKS, THE BOW IS SUBJECTED TO MINIMAL INTERFERENCE: TENSION, REPETITION, EXCESS, WITHHOLDING, AND MISALIGNMENT. EACH VARIANT ADHERES TO A FIXED SYSTEM - IDENTICAL MATERIAL, SCALE, AND METHOD - ALLOWING ONLY SMALL DEVIATIONS TO ACCUMULATE MEANING. WHAT EMERGES IS NOT A PROGRESSION TOWARDS REFINEMENT, BUT A RECORD OF FATIGUE AND RESIDUE.

THE MECHANISM

EACH WORK IS FITTED WITH A CONCEALED MAGNETIC MECHANISM, ALLOWING ATTACHMENT TO CLOTHING OR SURFACES WITHOUT PIERCING. THESE MAGNETS ARE PLACED ON BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK OF THE PIECE TO ALLOW USE OF BOTH SIDES. MAGNETISM REPLACES PENETRATION, SHIFTING ATTACHMENT FROM AN ACT OF MARKING, TO PRESENCE WITHOUT EVIDENCE. THE CONNECTION SECURES THE WORK WHILE RESISTING SPECTACLE. BY REFUSING PIERCING, THE BODY IS NO LONGER POSITIONED AS A SITE OF ENDURANCE OR DAMAGE.