Project Idea: A full-sized mannequin covered in art that represents New York City
For our project for the STEAM festival this winter, the six of us plan to create an embodiment of New York City. We aim to find all the different ways that we interact with the city, and how the city impacts us. By combining those details in an artistic way, we will create the New Yorker: a mannequin covered with art about all different aspects of New York City. Each body part will have a different story because each body part is impacted differently by this city. This concept relates to our past units of street photography and our focus on New York City, as well as the impact certain surroundings have on various works of art.
All six of us will have a different part of the body on the mannequin to work with. Each person will be assigned for example, the legs, arms etc. This ensures that we all have a solid contribution to the finished product and no one person is doing considerably more than anyone else. When we decide which person will cover what body part, we will cover that body part in art that corresponds with how that part of the body interacts with the city. For example, the legs of the mannequin will be covered with art that represents transportation around the city and the arms will represent common things that New Yorkers are always seen carrying with them.
Since our mannequin is a standing representation of our artwork, we will be displaying various pictures and written explanations of our process in making it. Explanations of certain pictures will be included as well, which will be utilized as talking points for our presentations during the STEAM festival.
Dominique’s portion will be the back of the mannequin. The back of the mannequin, and the backs of New Yorkers are often overlooked and under appreciated. The back not only carries various bags and items, but is a canvas for New York’s iconic and progressive fashion industry. The back of this New Yorker (the mannequin) will showcase a multitude of items people have carried on their backs and have showcased as a means of art and fashion.
Andrew’s portion of the mannequin will be the legs. The legs of the mannequin and of a normal New Yorker represent how you get around. With this part of the mannequin, we will decorate it with means of transportation. This could be the train, bus, cabs, uber, lyft, ferry, or just walking around. The legs will incorporate photos of the regular new yorker taking these forms of transportation using some of the artistic mediums that we learned about so far this semester. This will include photos, objects, and possibly small sculptures all over the legs. The feet could have the popular boot brand “Timberlands”. There will be photos all over the legs that can be interpreted for the punctum and which studium (street, train station, borough) it is in.
Teona’s section of the body is the head. Obviously, the human head has many different parts and functions, including housing four of the five senses. With these senses we would like to incorporate the many things that you can hear, smell, see, and taste in NYC. For instance, in reference to the ears, in NYC a person can always hear the traffic and “hustle and bustle” of the streets. In addition they can attend a music festival, a concert in Central Park, or go to the Opera at Lincoln Center. For the eyes, we can discuss the various things a person sees in NYC on a daily basis. Such things may include skyscrapers, yellow taxi cabs, food carts, and so much more.
Rushabh’s area is the torso, on the torso some things we’d like to include are the different types of things that are usually involved with the torso area of a human. One idea that we are exploring are including different types of food, or signage related to food such as the Dunkin Doughnut logo, or neon halal food signage. Another thing that we may add on the torso may be piercings that we see on New Yorkers such as a belly button piercing. Or if we use a male mannequin include a Calvin Klein waistband because of their marketing on downtown NY billboards. All aspects of our project are about how things that surround us in New York are related to humans and how we as New Yorkers incorporate what is around us in our daily life.
Hi team,
This project is inventive, imaginative, and has the potential to be a great contribution to the STEAM festival. Right now, you need to figure out what the group members not mentioned in the post itself (but included in the group, according to the title) will contribute. One immediate thought: it’s possible you could do a pair of mannequins, splitting into two teams of six, and doing *different* things with the different areas/body parts with each. So, for instance, if legs are transit on one mannequin, they could be ground-level objects (fire hydrants, sidewalks, gutters–Micole’s photography interests, in part!); contrasting with Teona’s head, the other head could be (say) things seen up high–skyscrapers, the skyline itself. One mannequin could be more about Jardin’s human element, the other about the build environment.
If you want to do a single mannequin, that’s fine, but as Jake noted in his email to the group, you’ll have to find a way for everyone to contribute not only the same amount as the others within the group, but also the same amount as students in smaller groups.
The next step–after deciding who does what and determining the number of mannequins–is to think in practical terms about logistics. You’ll need to figure out what materials you need, and how you will obtain them. Source a mannequin, and figure out how you’ll print or obtain your images. You’ll also want to figure out a workshop space in which to (1) store materials and (2) assemble your artwork. My office is available for limited storage.
You will also want to pick one group member who will be the project manager. This person can do (a *little*) less creatively, because this person will be organizing group meet-ups, keeping everyone on task, and emailing me–or verbally checking in–with progress updates. I am requiring this in this case because the group is large. Pick someone organized, and–everyone else–be prepared to listen to this person and help him/her out!
Before 11/4, please reply to this comment with:
(1) An expanded or revised account of who’ll be doing what–what is the role of everyone in the group? Who is the project manager? (Project manager–it is likely you will be writing this comment!)
(2) An account of the materials you’ll need, where you might get them, and what problems in this area remain unsolved. If you need help with materials, say so.
(3) A rough sketch of your timeline–when you’ll be meeting to work on what parts of the mannequins. Please look over the SYLLABUS to see what time is available in class for this (we have 1 class session dedicated to STEAM work, but this project–and all projects–will need more time than this. I may give you one hour to work on STEAM projects during our second week on Cole’s novel, Open City).
Let me know if you have questions!!
Best,
Prof Kolb
Hi Professor Kolb,
I’m sorry about the late response, I will be assuming the role of project manager with Andrew so that we can work together to help guide the group, and essentially run as a more efficient team.
The role of each person in the group, including Andrew and I, will be to focus on our individual body parts on the mannequin, as well as work together as a whole to bring our “New Yorker” to life, through the pictures that we print. I will be working on the back of the mannequin, Andrew will be covering the legs, Teona will do the head, Rushabh will be doing the torso and chest, and Andrea and Micole will be working on the arms, as well as the poster board illustrating our process; I will be helping with that as well.
The materials that we will be needing include: a mannequin, which we will be ordering from amazon; mod podge glue; scissors; a foldable poster board; and printed pictures of NYC.
We will be having a total of 3 meetings (the third is optional depending on if we need it), in order to complete our STEAM project. The first meeting will aim to work out all of the logistics: how much money we will be contributing; what pictures to put on the mannequin; how we will be showcasing our process, etc. The second meeting will be in the dorms where 3 out of 6 of us live, so that we can work put the project together. The third, if we need it, will be to finish up anything we didn’t from the second meeting, and to resolve any issues we encounter the first go around.