OBJECTS OF DESIRE
Rachelle Beaudoin’s project, That Obscure Object of Desire (Second Iteration) is a garment that delivers an electric shock when touched. In Rachelle’s words:
“I am interested in the ever-present dichotomy of the virgin and the whore in representations of women. I created a chastity belt undergarment that alludes to the film and references that peculiar scene. However, this device administered a non-lethal electric shock when touched by the viewer.”
Here’s a close-up of the garment:
The previous iteration of this project is also worth noting:
Constructed out of electric fencing over shaping underwear the garment was worn as part of a performance by Beaudoin where she wore the garment and invited people to come up and touch it.
March 11th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Very interesting work. Intense too.
I am fascinated by this relationship between pain and the body and the representation of the body.
On my work on sensory interventions in psychiatry, i am interested in the mechanism in electro convulsive therapy (electro shocks), the idea is more to find an alternative to the idea of seizure in the brain via electro shocks and use methods of “grounding the senses” or “sensory distraction” in garnments. I embed strong stimulus in the clothing for that matter that the patient can have control over. Electro convulsive therapy is used on strong case of bordeline disorders, patients with self mutilation behavior and so on. It can be related with virginity actually.
I think the work of Rachelle is beautiful and resonnates with parts of what I am working on.
August 16th, 2007 at 5:56 am
hi, i am very interested in your project. i am acctually doing my final year in textile and fishion design at the University of Mauritius. i am doing my project in integrating sound to grament. i would be please if i could get a copy of your thesis
thanks in advance,
victorrio