In process- The Family Project
I've been working on something for awhile that is finally starting to come together. A lot of people have been involved so far, so I thought I would post my in process so they could all see what's going on!
As a child of the 20th century, I have been born into a transient world. Because of this my biological family lives all over the globe and that means that I'm rarely in contact. Seeing them in person happens even more rarely.
Before the industrial revolution, people tended to live and make a life where they were born. Their family was intimately involved in their everyday life, like it or not. Those who were biologically connected to you were your friends and your support system. But in a world where transportation takes a matter of hours or days instead of months or years, we suddenly find ourselves with a group of people who move around the globe. I am one of those. I have lived in 45 places, all around the world, and for almost the last decade, I have not once lived in the same place as someone who is a member of my biological family.
So what does a person do when they longer have a community or support system that they were born into? They begin to make their own family, one that has no blood relation, but in different ways can fill so many of the roles that the traditional family and community used to.
The project that I'm working on now is an expression of my own family that I am building wherever I go. This project is based around a symbol of a family crest that I have drawn for myself and the household where I currently live.
The first part of the project is a stain glass box that I am making. Because family is generally biological, I wanted people who I consider my family and supports to donate some of their biological matter to me as a symbol that we have the capacity to choose each other. Each one of these samples goes on a microscope slide, and will be placed inside the box when it's finished.
Before the industrial revolution, people tended to live and make a life where they were born. Their family was intimately involved in their everyday life, like it or not. Those who were biologically connected to you were your friends and your support system. But in a world where transportation takes a matter of hours or days instead of months or years, we suddenly find ourselves with a group of people who move around the globe. I am one of those. I have lived in 45 places, all around the world, and for almost the last decade, I have not once lived in the same place as someone who is a member of my biological family.
So what does a person do when they longer have a community or support system that they were born into? They begin to make their own family, one that has no blood relation, but in different ways can fill so many of the roles that the traditional family and community used to.
The project that I'm working on now is an expression of my own family that I am building wherever I go. This project is based around a symbol of a family crest that I have drawn for myself and the household where I currently live.
The first part of the project is a stain glass box that I am making. Because family is generally biological, I wanted people who I consider my family and supports to donate some of their biological matter to me as a symbol that we have the capacity to choose each other. Each one of these samples goes on a microscope slide, and will be placed inside the box when it's finished.
My biological sample goes in the center of the crest, and you look down through the box onto the samples inside. I chose stain glass to symbolize the sacredness of family and the act of creating community. Also, as the final box will be three or four shelves, I love that you will look down through the glass pieces and all of the biology begins to merge signifying unity, while at the same time DNA is one of the most individual things possible.
At the same time, the use of glass gives the piece a tentativeness. Glass is easily broken as I discovered when I knocked my water bottle over and broke some slides. (Yes I cried) It is a reminder to me that relationships are special, and also fragile. They have to be cared for, and also let go of when they sometimes break.
The second part of the project is actually attaching the symbol of our family to the outside of our bodies so others can see as well. I have taken the outside of the crest and begun embroidering in on people's clothing, starting with my roommates. On the inside of the crest each person gets to choose their own symbol because, while we may be surrounded by a family that we loves us, we are always and firstly, individuals.
On my own body I have begun to tattoo the symbol. This project is about my family, and although people will come and go, take off the symbol and put it on, I will forever be working at the job of finding others to share my life with.
And what I'm listening to as I work today-