Artist Statement:
This piece aims to explore the idea of living in a bubble and not being aware of the world outside of your own. This is the opposite of a defense mechanism, it is a mechanism used to stay shielded from other people’s experience so that you don’t have to see the world for what it is: riddled with deception, oppression, corruption, and pain. The puffer jacket is something created for warmth and protection from the elements, in the same way that living in a bubble allows someone to feel comfortable with nothing challenging their comfort. Those who live in a bubble ‘put on’ this way of living everyday to protect them from experiences that would burst their it. The different sections of the jacket filled with packing peanuts reflect on what the world would be like if everyone lived in their own world. All the different bubbles would create a world in which we cannot make connections with anyone except those with the same mindset as us and only see other people through our distorted lenses.
The idea for this piece came from my experience interacting with other people in high school. Going to a private school in a predominantly wealthy and white neighborhood in Seattle, there were many people who embodied their surroundings and, unless were forced to through education, never stopped to listen to other people’s experiences interacting with the world through the lens of people not of the same race or gender as them. This bubble mentality was increasingly evident the more I payed attention to narratives that are not my own and worked with people who had different experiences moving through the world than myself. This jacket acts as commentary on how people choose to keep a narrow mind and focus on narratives similar to their own, as it is their choice to put on their jacket instead of exposing themselves to the environment.
To lean into discomfort is to accept that discomfort is an opportunity for growth and not something to shy away from. Malleability allows for us to further develop, however the key is to invite that and not repel those who will help us to develop but at the end of the day it is on us to bring about change. Soft forms invite us to play with them and in doing so, to change them. We associate bubble wrap with a need to tear and reach the object that it is covering, at the same time we receive satisfaction and pleasure from popping the bubbles. What if we wanted to burst someone’s bubble?
