Project 2a: Isolation Spaces - Comparative Analysis

Project 01: Quarantine and the Body

Project 01b: Survival Routines

Site Model and Device Materiality

While trying to figure out the best method of modeling my hand, I came across a kit at Hobby Lobby for making plaster models of babies' hands and feet. Since I have relatively small hands and the package advertises picking up "every cute little wrinkle," I decided to try it out.




My first trial deemed successful - though my hand was a little too clenched and the fingers turned out brittle and cracking. My second model presented the form that I wanted, but it didn't have the texture quality of my first. I plan to scan the model into a 3D scanner because I'd like to preserve the detail of my plaster hand.



The next step was to choose a material for my protective device. I chose to use cork. According to encyclopedia.com, "cork is a specialized secondary tissue produced by the cork cambium of the plant." The material is impermeable, buoyant, fire retardant, and a natural insect repellent. There are fabric forms of cork on the market, but I priced them at about $160 a yard - so I decided to buy cork sheets at the craft store and try out making it on my own. I tried using a vegetable peeler. I tried running it through the food processor. I boiled it. I steamed it. The cork stayed brittle but would not break up. My most successful attempt was actually cutting the cork into one-sixteenth inch strips and coating them with Mod Podge.

A hunter needs a glove that is thermal and durable while staying comfortable on the hand. in the process of creating a weave pattern to construct the glove itself. It would essentially be an alternative to a leather glove, and it would wrap the hand instead of slipping over it. Hunters, while using guns, make use of the index finger and thumb. While using a knife, hunters use the palm and the bottoms of the fingers. I hope to create an integrated set of hand guards that morph to fit the needs of the hunter.