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Presenting to you, Size 0, your one-stop anorexic shop!

If you’re a supporter of the thin movement, you’d find this place your favourite hang-out. We’ve got all sorts of products, ranging from bodycare to clothes to food (or rather, anti-food)! What’s best, is that they come at the minimal price of destruction to your body!

This season, we’ve got four highlights: the Snakeskin Corset, the Size 0 Brainwash & Serum, the Cookie Trap and Mia’s Handy Spork. With these highly effective items, you can rest assured that you will lose all your weight (and possibly to your death) in a month.

So why not pledge your support to Size 0 today? We have your interests at heart, as we say in our motto, “Big is Beautiful, but Thin is In”.

So yes, that’s my 99% final coursework! (Without the vinyl logo on the wall that I can’t thank Mrs Tan enough for helping me print and stick!) It’s an installment of an imaginary shop that sells imaginary items of all classifications, that cater to anorexic people. The idea of it is to illustrate what crazy measures these sufferers take to lose weight, and how much danger they are actually bringing to themselves.

That explains the price tags, which, rather than specifying monetary prices, indicate what anorexics have to pay with their health in their pursuit of beauty. This includes fainting spells, the degeneration of one’s brain, organ failure and though not specified, eventual death.

Also, the whole package of my shop is one that exudes an aura sophistication, or so I planned. The rich colour scheme of peach walls with black, glossy flooring and matte gold boxes just evokes a look of richness, intended to tie in with the fact that this is a beauty shop and my theme is afterall, beauty. Even the final logo, whose name I spent a lot of time deciding upon, and whose font I also spent quite a bit of effort experimenting with, is of a chic Bickham Script Pro, suggesting the image of a luxury brand.

While I would say there can be improvements made to the entire coursework, such as figuring out how to highlight the suffering of anorexic patients more (possibly even harsher-looking items?), I would never dare say that I’m not satisfied with this piece of work, and I would never want to. After a gruelling and admittedly dreadful nine months, I would say that my work has paid off and given rise to a beautifully packaged, complete installation piece! Of course, this is thanks to help from friends, family and my dear teachers Mrs Tan and Mr Lim, all of whom I cannot thank enough!

The highlight of Size 0′s Autumn collection: the Snakeskin Corset! This unique corset simulates the action of a snake coiling itself around one’s body, choking their waist to become the ideal 18-inch waist. Price: Breathlessness, dizziness, fainting, headaches.

Once again, this idea has developed thoroughly since its initial conception. I actually planned for it to be modelled after Osim’s slimming belt, but who knew, it evolved into something much classier, not that I’m not proud of it.

I decided on a snake because of the very reason that snakes practically choke someone to death. What I found challenging was how to make it and package it. I tried making the corset by using papier mache (that is why I say Neil Buchanan is an inspiring artist!) on some make-shift body made of tin cans and scrunched-up newspaper, but it was quite a failure. So I decided that I would use my back brace, no longer needed of course, as a mould. Because it was too big for an anorexic, I added extra padding on the inside. This once again taught me that success doesn’t always come on the first try, but it is only through experimentation and reflection that we can finally make it.

In any case, the next problem I faced was producing the snakeskin. I thought of painting it originally, but figured it probably wouldn’t look very good. After consultation with my family, we thought of using sequins – and sequins did I use! Not only do they give texture to the corset, they also give it a fashionable look. All in the name of beauty! Here, let me add that I must thank my dad for contributing manpower in sticking the sequins!

Then, of course, there was the fabric and the strings, which I got much help from my aunt to complete! I owe it to her.

I also ensured that every single detail was accounted for. This included the strings at the back, which I was tempted to skip due to a lack of time. But I’m glad I stuck with them – they give the corset a finished look.

For the fabric and the strings, of course I also had to search for suitable and appropriate materials, and after contemplating between satin, velvet and other fabric, I decided on velvet, and the string with similar texture was used to complement it.

I guess I learnt a lot from making this piece. First was that I should never be afraid to try. Secondly, I had to see both the big picture and the minute details – I had to understand what features I needed to put and how to choose complementary materials. And I even had to make sure that there were few holes (these were inevitable) between sequins, or else it would be hideous! And thirdly, I realised that I could count on my family to help me tide through! I really owed it to them for this piece of art. Otherwise, I doubt I could have completed it.

And thanks to them, it looks really polished and impressive, and makes me feel both satisfied and gratified when I see it!

Here is the design for it: (I don’t have the actual sticker pasted on the bottle because I forgot to take a picture of it)

And the past designs. These were actually redone as I had frustratingly broken my thumbdrive two days before coursework submission and lost my prep. Well, but I’d like to applaud myself for being able to reproduce what I previously took weeks to do, in an hour!

As can be seen, the barbie doll was a fixture in all my designs. To be honest I didn’t know why I wanted to have a barbie doll – I was actually just experimenting with it, but decided it looked good (ironically) and I had spent too much time on it, so I decided to keep it. I guess that’s how things come about – slightly by accident! (And truth be told, I think my new prep looks better than my old ones, which is both a good and bad thing )

In any case, I had to (pity on my eyes) study pictures of emaciated bodies to know what to do with the barbie. I paid a lot of attention to bringing out her ribcage and hip bones, and also how sunken her face looked. And truth be told I had no idea how I would edit her. I just played around with liquify to make her already skinny body even thinner, and I experimented with the brush tool because that was the only way I knew how to do it and voila – out came ribcage bones. Not bad for an amateur! I’m quite pleased actually that it looks quite realistic, especially the ribcage! On the whole, I made everything exageratted – the worse the better!

Oh, and another challenging thing I had to do was transfer clothes onto her (yes, my barbie was nude). I’d say it looks quite fitting on her!

After that, I explored different designs – the first was modelled after Biosilk’s design, because I thought it looked like an hourglass figure. Not very exciting though. I had another one with wilted flowers, which was supposed to give the message that anorexics are liked withered flowers, once beautiful but have now lost all hope and life. Another one was that of the red and blue ribbon, inspired by another shampoo bottle I saw that had a ribbon on it. It was symbolic as red was the colour of anorexia, and blue was just quite a sad colour. Also, anorexics used red bracelets to identifiy themselves, hence, the beads that made up the ribbons. Lastly, I chose the shape of the ribbon as I related it to the awareness ribbon – in an attempt to say that anorexia is a disease that needs our attention. (By the way, both the flowers and ribbons were original photos taken by ME!)

My chosen design was that of strings of brainwash spiralling around the barbie doll. I chose that because it was most in line with the idea of brainwash, almost seeming to say that western media influence and peer pressure and one’s OCD had indoctrinated to one that “thinness is beauty”. I actually had a further design with a stopwatch in the background (which I didn’t bother recreating the second time) to symbolise hypnotism, but I felt that was a bit overboard.

I even put thought into choosing the bottle. Out of many candidates, chose L’Oreal Colour Vive Pro because it was flat and easy to paste the sticker on, and it was red (and that symbolises anorexia, as I mentioned above)

So that’s it about brainwash and serum, a lot of thought and effort put into it. It was gratifying to see the success of my not-so-professional photoshop skills, and the intense editing of the barbie doll is what I’m most proud of.

Introducing Mia’s Handy Spork! This spork is the best friend of all anorexics and bulimics – with its repulsive design, it is sure to avert anyone’s appetite. And with outstretched fingers on one end, it simulates the action of bulimics who reach in to their throats to induce vomit.

Price: Constipation, Abdominal pain, Oesophagal Reflux

The aim of this piece was to show the insane ways anorexics try to lose weight, and how they cause harm to themselves in the end.

I spent a lot of time and effort on this. I actually made two other designs before this – one of a monster’s head on one end and claws on the other, and the other with a Venus flytrap on one end and a cactus on the other. But I decided on the hand because the interpretation about the bulimic action fit in too well.

For this handy spork, I also did quite a lot of prep on it. I investigated different poses of hands for both ends of the spork. Also, I decided to use the same technique of overlaying translucent layers over one another to paint the spork as I did for my cookies.

Actually, I had accidentally painted the hand on one side too thickly, but – as thick-skinned as this sounds – I was quite pleased with how I troubleshooted. I repainted that side of the spork white, then tried to paint on again. However, I realised that the clay wasn’t as absorbent as it was coated with a layer of white acrylic paint, but I still managed to paint quite carefully, and it looks quite homogeneous on both sides now!

However, I can improve in my painting technique, because I think I applied too many layers of paint in attempt to salvage certain parts, but it ended up backfiring. I tried to salvage it further by “brushing” the layers of paint off. Perhaps not the most advisable thing to do, but it worked!

On the whole, I’m quite pleased with it.

What do I mean they were inspired by her life? In the spirit of a true blue inventor, some of Vinka’s products are designed to provide a solution to her every day problems. Take the Barnslig cushion – these cushions have two cuffs for one to bury their feet into the cushion, as Vinka realised she liked to do when relaxing on a sofa, to keep herself warm. Noted, they don’t look the most stylish cushions, but they are quite intriguing, and very practical.

Another of her products is the BARNSLIG blanket/cape, which to me looks nothing like a blanket and more like a bath robe or the likes. These blankets have touch-and-close fasteners at the back and holes for the arms to slip through – as she found that her blanekts easily slipped off her shoulders, and she couldn’t do much with them draped over her shoulders.

You probably can’t find the two above-mentioned products in Singapore, but I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the following one in the IKEA catalog or the store! The Gullhomen rocking chair. This unique chair was probably inspired by her Sami roots or so the designer claims, and has many associations – some say it resembles a grouse, others a drinking vessel. Whatever it is, woven by banana leaves, it definitely looks very rustic.

Another of her products is the Jutanas russian dolls. Inspired by the Russian nesting dolls she collected as a child, she created a collection of multi-ethnic dolls instead.

What I want to say is that Vinka’s spirit is one truly worth modelling after. She conceives ideas or designs based on her own experiences, making them relatable and practical to the average buyer, in the spirit of a true designer.

Neil Buchanan, born 1961, was the presenter of Art Attack from 1990 through 2007 when the programme ended. His 30-minute shows presented Buchanan demonstrating to young viewers different kinds of simple, fun art and craft ideas for them to model after at home. These included papier mache snakes, castles, photoframes – anything you name, he’d probably made it. Other demonstrations included simple skills of using charcoal, pencils, paint and the likes.

I am pretty sure his works have inspired many kids and possibly kids who have grown up! Ask a student how they knew the steps in making papier mache, they would probably give you two words – “Art Attack”.

But I think the most amazing thing about his show was the “Big Art Attack” segment. I would consider them works of art in themselves! These included colossal pieces of art created with mainly found objects to assemble a huge, larger-than-life image, best seen from a helicopter’s view. Talk about seeing the big picture. One of his most well-known was a picture of Queen Elizabeth II made of 250 000 pounds of 10 pound banknotes.

What I think is amazing is how Buchanan could envision and plan for such big images, and all in his head! (Okay, I’m pretty sure he had directions from some people in some helicopter or something, but I’m still in awe nonetheless) And I believe it is an art how he could do so by strategically using everyday objects. Generally, the art is not only in his end products, but also the process of making these masterpieces and inspiring children or even any viewer, and showing them that anything is possible.

Nonetheless, I find her work very fascinating and out-of-the-ordinary.

Ana Prvacki, born in 1976 in Pancevo, Serbia, is an artist who lives and works in Singapore (!!!) and New York. In 2003, she founded Ananatural Production, and according to her website http://anaproduction.com, it is “an innovation and lifestyle consultancy combining conceptual concerns, contemporary issues and various modes of communication to distribute ideas, recipes and instructions for various types of experience”.

Her various works of art include:

“Music Derived from Pain Killer”: For the Sydney Biennale in 2008, she delved into the service of eliminating pain through playing her flute (is she multi-talented or what!), in which possibly music helps to infuse a tranquil, calming atmosphere to help one relax, and also through which her saliva is colelcted and transmuted into a special, music-derived painkiller.

Another artwork of hers is “At the Tips of Your Fingertips (Towards a Clean Money Culture)” 2007. Here, Prvacki has established a money cleaning service which cleanses and purifies banknotes with specially branded wet wipes. She set up a space in the UBS space to test demand for her new product, hence having direct interaction with the general public. Hence Prvacki cleanses filthy banknotes with millions of germs and bacteria to provide her clients with money fresh enough to use as a face wipe. And according to Anne Barlow, “Given that some believe the actual value of the note may also be diminished through the act of cleaning, the poetry of the piece lies in the sheer absurdity of the endeavor.”

I find her work quite alike my coursework actually! What she does is to invent imaginary products or services, not only to critique on issues in society, but also to propose “ideal solutions”, and in doing so engages with the general public directly. I find her approach pretty unorthodox and fresh.

Likewise, my coursework was about creating a shop and imaginary products to comment on the suffering anorexics bring to themselves.

No you haven’t stumbled upon a bakery!

This is part #1 of my coursework. (The finals are the 3rd and 4th picture, the ones in the jar) My coursework is an installation in the form of a shop window for an “anorexic shop”, with designer items of the season on display. It’s an imaginary shop set up for anorexics, selling items that help them in their course of losing weight. Of course, I’m not advocating eating disorders – by creating such an artwork, I plan to convey the idea that these individuals are suffering under their own means of trying to lose weight – their measures are extreme and may take a toll on them.

Part #1: Cookie jar

Inspired by those stories of greedy little children who try to steal sweets or cookies from a jar and got their pudgy fingers stuck, I decided that an anorexic would try all means to deter themselves from binging on forbidden foods (though they will be so tempted to eat these foods because they’ve deprived themselves for too long!), and this even means getting their fingers trapped in a cookie jar to teach themselves a lesson. On one side, the cookie jar looks deceptively like any other cookie jar, but a look at the flipside reveals the mechanism of the mousetrap, waiting to spring on its next victim.

I met some challenges while doing this coursework, the main one being the designing of the mechanism such that it looks realistic as a mousetrap. I’m not a physics student, and I’m prone to having clumsy artworks and craft pieces fail on me. I did quite a bit of research, searched for photos, observed a rodent trap that Mr Lim had in his office for some weird reason or another, searched online animations of how a mousetrap works, and even the small details like how the springs look like. I’d admit that the mechanism turned out quite well! I was afraid it would look slipshod, being handmade and all, but it does look quite convincing. I was extremely pleased with my springs – I got the wires to coil quite evenly after quite a bit of practice! I had also put a lot of work into the calculations – making sure that my board wasn’t too big to fit behind the cookies, making sure the spring was proportionate, etc! This reinforces my impression of myself as quite a mathematical artist (I’m very particular about such details!).

The other part that took up quite a bit of effort was painting the cookies. I’ll admit I didn’t have to try it out a million times before knowing how to paint. I started out applying the paint too thick on my “test cookie”, then I realised that I should try applying layers of translucent colour carefully to get a more realistic effect (something I learnt from AEP over the years) – and tadaa! The rest of the time was a very therapeutic experience – just painting the cookies (it was easier than oil painting!) and enjoying the fruit of my labour. It was gratifying to see how realistic the cookies looked! This being said, there is of course room for improvement, such as my bad colour mixing skills (the colour of the cookies was a bit off – but I made sure to obtain the same (albeit slightly inaccurate) colour each time so that the cookies looked alike), and also the painting technique (the brushstrokes can be seen upon close inspection). On the whole, I’m still very amazed by the wonderful cookies!

However, I was deeply frustrated when I tried to assemble the cookies into the cookie jar. I couldn’t get gravity on my side that day, so my cookies kept falling, knocking into one another and chipping a bit off one another (so there are tiny dots of white all around my cookies now!), not as if the helplessness I felt for not being able to get my cookies to pile on top of one another wasn’t enough! In the end I used UHU glue to stick the cookies to the jar, but not very well I’d say, and there are visible glue stains now. I felt somewhat crushed – my hardwork in making such great looking cookies crushed by the last aspect of having to assemble them! Still, I tried to be careful as possible, placing my cookies and mousetrap strategically.  This sent me an important lesson – to really consider EVERY aspect of the mathematics and physics of my work, such as knowing how to deal with gravity and ensuring that my cookies stay stacked!

On the whole, I like how the piece turned out! It looks quite polished, especially with the real cookie jar – very gratifying indeed!

Object (Le Dejeuner en fourrure) (1936), Meret Oppenheim

Whatever it is, you wouldn’t want to drink from that fur cup.

Oppenheim’s famous surrealistic work consisting of a teacup, saucer and a teaspoon shows how an object can be fashioned for a totally different purpose. Whatever her intentions of wrapping these objects up in fur, she has effectively voided the objects of their original function, that is to serve tea in and for people to drink tea from. In doing so, she converts the common everyday objects into an intriguing or disgusting (depending on the individual viewer) visual source. The cup is no longer a cup, it is a medium for her to express her playfulness (surely the imaginings of the experience drinking from a teacup will invoke curiousness and a desire to try it out) (or other connotations).

Meret Oppenheim’s work was one of the sources of inspiration for my coursework. I would relate my spork to it. My spork, its two ends consisting of hands – one cupped and the other stretching out – serves definitely not for people to use it to eat, but instead functions to invoke disgust in its viewers and also to create a visual impression about bulimia (well, bulimics literally stick their fingers into the back of their mouths, don’t they?) It’s apparent that what I’ve learnt from Oppenheim is how everyday found objects can be manipulated and their purposes disrupted in the name of art.