For my first bridge project, my teacher tasked us to select an object that we interacted with on a daily basis. This quotidian object would then be journaled, researched, and eventually displayed in a museum-like installation of our own design. I selected a small backpack as my object for this project.
Each day of journaling, I focused on a specific component of the bag, considering each component’s form and higher function. Straps, zippers, and pouches are a few examples. At the same time, I conducted some historical research on backpacks to gain a sense of the object’s purpose throughout history. I discovered that backpacks are a rather recent invention, that college students helped spur the mainstream function they serve today, and that JanSport produced the first iterations of the backpack (first marketed towards hikers).
http://time.com/4477959/a-brief-history-of-the-modern-backpack/
Having observed my backpack enough, I started to brainstorm display designs. The design that stuck with me the most was that of a pyramid with geometric shoulders for the bag to rest on.
With such a monumental form, I then imagined what future contexts or history must this backpack be connected to in order to garner such a powerful display. Naturally, I imaged myself (the backpack’s user) as a deceased monument and memorial architect who received much attention during his lifetime.
With the design and object context decided, I began construction. I used the laser lab to cut the faces of the chipboard, then primed and spraypainted each side, finally gluing the whole thing together.
With such a monumental form, I then imagined what future contexts or history must this backpack be connected to in order to garner such a powerful display. Naturally, I imaged myself (the backpack’s user) as a deceased monument and memorial architect who received much attention during his lifetime.
With the design and object context decided, I began construction. I used the laser lab to cut the faces of the chipboard, then primed and spraypainted each side. Finally, I glued the whole thing together. I made a seperate stand for the objects contually housed inside the backpack to further materialize the object’s context.
Reflecting on the project as a whole, through observation, process, and completion, I’m satisfied with the final outcome. The clean, geometric style of the display speaks to my own, and the language of the whole piece (both written and visual) constructs a playful context for my backpack that’s believable. I think the most challenging component of this project was deciding in what manner to display the object—as art or as an artifact, and if artifact what type. Instead of choosing a display that may have covered the general topic of backpacks in a didactic way, I chose a display that supported a specific history—my own from the imagined future.
If I had more time, I would have incorporated a looping stock video of my daily interactions with the backpack, and perhaps engraved more information along the faces of the pyramid. That’s not to say, though, that my streamlined design was not intentional and has its own benfits.
