Tutorial#6: It’s our ability to create stylish meals that separates us from the animals (Bear Grylls)
08:30 min 4K, 2015
A video where three men meet in an institutional setting. They have a conversation made up by fragments I have collected from instructional tutorial videos about survival. Most of these sentences are actual quotations. Many of these phrases end up as existential questions.
During the meeting, they all make a flower out of gaffer tape, zip-ties and para-cord. These are all synthetic materials that are highly regarded for function and flexibility (in Survivalist and Prepper categorization).
A flower is useless in a survival situation. I wish to question art making as an activity. What is useful, what is human?
The work is initially made for an exhibition related to the tapestry weaver Frida Hansen (1855-1931) and also includes sculptures. I was interested in the gender roles assigned to textile craft and the purpose involved in these activities (craft clubs- craft as therapy). My project is a fictional account of the very male dominated culture of survivalist, where knowing you craft and materials is highly regarded.
As a part of the project, I researched how Survivalists and preppers and I made my own Ghillie suit.
This was done by following several you tube tutorials where men explained how they hand dyed jute that they first stripped from bags. This should be done in a least four shades to get the correct diversity to blend in to foliage of your choice.
This is then fastened to fishing nest sown into an underlying suit and tied in small patches. Its quite a labouros process and the goal is like any ghillie suit; to camouoflage in nature.
I chose to do this on a bright pink tracksuit with hood and zip.
It is hung on a custom made welded made metal frame and a small video in the background, in a see trhough plastic bag.
Close up where you can see the wire and pink cloth underneath.