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Play me!
Carefully Scroll !
Carefully Scroll !
Carefully Scroll !
September 2014
Carefully Scroll Up! Avoid Damaging the Layers!
You have hit glacial level, no more human activity to discover! Wow!
Digital Archeology
Image courtesy of MSU Archeology
How might the digital contribute to my offline project? While pondering this and observing Fleur, Dr. Kneebone, and Dr. Bicknell talk about their various collaborations over the years, including Fleur's Textile Body. I became curious as to what digital remnants we could uncover about the how the body materialized and movement of the body around London.
Much to my surprise, I began to find traces of strewn all over across the internet. As I began sifting through the years, the process immediately struck me as a digital form of an archeological excavation. Archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. In the United States where I first studied anthropology, archeology is one of the four subfields of anthropology. Because of this taxonomy, for me, digital anthropology and archeology can easily become aligned.
In an interview, Fluer mentioned to me that one could think of the layers of the Textile Body as being similar to layers of lasagna. In archeology 101 courses, we use the same metaphor of lasagna layers to understand stratigraphic layers, which are the processes by which layers of soil and debris are laid down on top of one another over time and can be used to determine a sequence of events. As a result, I began to digitally excavate and piece together timestamps and contexts to determine sequences of events surrounding the collaboration and the Textile Body. I began to piece together remnants of events around London which the trio often referred to offline.
One night I experienced sheer excitement after hours of patiently using my digital trowel and brush carefully scanning through details seemingly millimeters at a time, I uncovered an extraordinary artifact. I had stumbled across film footage of the influential event that began the textile and surgical collaboration at the Art Workers' Guild in 2014, a moment almost always referred to at live events and in interviews, journal articles, and podcasts. In addition, through the many details, I began to identify patterns of other stories, places, and people engaged in the community around the collaboration and the Textile Body, which allowed me a broader perspective of the evolution of the project. For me, this is remnant of looking up for your excavation square pit to discover that the large rocks you have seen form the structure of a house! The dots began to connect! From the research, I identified to other influential individuals who frequented and participated in collaboration with the trio and with the Textile Body, Paul W Craddock and Dr. Sam Gallivan. I attended an event where Dr. Sam Gallivan was present, and I only realized later after engaging in the online excavation.
As with stratigraphic layers, among other forms of layers such as layers of the body, fabric, or lasagna, there can be disturbances, collapses, or unexplained gaps. These intrusions are essential because a lack of information can be just as insightful as the presence. When we encounter these gaps, we are left to make educated guesses, understanding that what can be stitched together will only bring together fragments of the past. However, these fragments can bring partial and valuable perspectives as patterns become recognizable, such as places and people involved, and a broader perspective of the evolution of events. While I never will know the richness of the in-between, fortunately, unlike most archeology, I can further color and texturize my knowledge by engaging in offline ethnographic observation in addition to my research online. The online record brought me broader perspectives of the livelihood of the collaboration and the Textile Body in London from those experiencing it themselves.
How might the digital contribute to an offline project of experiences of the body in London? While pondering this and observing Fleur, Dr. Kneebone, and Dr. Bicknell talk about their various collaborations over the years, including Fleur's Textile Body, I became curious as to what digital remnants could be uncovered about the body's materialization in London, subsequent movements, and its experiential influence of others.
Much to my surprise, I began to find traces of their collaboration and the Textile Body strewn across the internet. As I began sifting through the timestamps, the process immediately struck me as being a digital form of an archeological excavation. Archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. In the United States where I first studied anthropology, archeology is one of the four subfields of anthropology. Because of this taxonomy, for me, digital anthropology and archeology are easily aligned.
When I first met her, Fluer mentioned that one could think of the layers of the Textile Body as being similar to layers of lasagna. In archeology 101 courses, we use the same metaphor of lasagna layers to understand stratigraphic layers. Stratigraphic layers are the processes by which layers of soil and debris become laid down on top of one another over time. These layers can be used to determine a sequence of events, like timestamps. As a result, I began to digitally excavate and piece together sequences of events surrounding the collaboration and the Textile Body.
One night I experienced sheer excitement after hours of patiently navigating my digital trowel and brush, carefully scanning through details seemingly millimeters at a time, I uncovered an extraordinary artifact. I had stumbled across film footage of the influential event that began the textile and surgical collaboration at the Art Workers' Guild in 2014, a moment almost always referred to at live events and in interviews, journal articles, and podcasts. In addition, through the many details, I began to identify patterns of other stories, places, and people engaged in the community around the collaboration and the Textile Body, which allowed me a broader perspective of the evolution of the project. For me, this is reminiscent of looking up for your excavation pit to discover that the large rocks you have seen form the structure of a house! The dots began to connect! From the research, I identified to other influential individuals who frequented and participated in collaboration with the trio and with the Textile Body, Paul W Craddock, and Dr. Sam Gallivan. I attended an event where Dr. Sam Gallivan was present, and I only realized later after engaging in the online excavation.
As with stratigraphic layers, among other forms of layers like in bodies, fabric, or lasagna, there can be disturbances, collapses, or unexplained spaces. These interruptions are essential because a lack of information is just as insightful as presence. When we encounter these gaps, we are left to imagine and make educated guesses, understanding that what can be stitched together will only bring together fragments of the past. However, these partial remnants can valuable perspectives as patterns become recognizable, providing a broad view of the development of events. While I never will be capable of knowing the richness of the in-between, unlike most archeology, I can further color and texturize my understanding by engaging in contemporary ethnographic observation in addition to my research and online curation.
Many of the digital artifacts below are from newspapers, journal articles, Twitter accounts, and Fleur's blog, Thread Management. All of the links are active, including videos! Like finding millions of glass beads or charred animal bones during archeological excavation, there can be an overwhelming amount of materials located when excavating online. Thus, I have chosen to highlight what I consider to be the most pertinent materials. However, for the most part, this is the entirety of information relating to the collaboration since its inception in 2014... I feel like a Facebook stalker majorly spun off platform...
Of note!
Are you sure you want to do this?
I learned a textile artist must think carefully before they cut into expensive, rare, fragile, or even possible deteriorating fabric, and that surgeons also must consider carefully how to begin their procedure.... Thus,
Image courtesy Scumbag Success Kid
Okay, are you ready to gaze upon the digital excavation pit?
Are you really sure you want to do this?
As with surgery, textiles or excavation, one must slowly proceed through the layers of material as to create minimal disruptions. No short cuts or page jumping features here... navigate carefully!
Thu 4/4/19, 6:41 PM
Carefully Scroll!
Credit Alchemy VR
Credit Alchemy VR
Carefully Scroll !
