Knitted baby-boy of human hair.
About the ‘boy-childwish’ of a woman, who during its pregnancy only knitted boys sweaters. She gave birth to girls only. During the pregnancies of her daughters she again knitted piles of boys sweaters. Her daughters as well gave birth to girls only. The wish of having a son never came true for this woman. This work concernes the queste about the ethic values of DNA manipulation.
There are clinics working with DNA for the “construction” of babies; the determination of the sex, color of the hair and eyes, the intelect etc. When a childwish is so strong, how do we feel about those issues.
Six faces in different colors, crochet of human hair.
Aids concernes everybody. It has no colour or sex.
Crochet head made of human hair, laying on a cushion.
Work about ageing. Age and experients can mean peace and wishdom, but also struggle with life weariness, a lack of interest, infirmities and transitoriness.
Figures crochet with human hair.
This work has its origen from the notion that I always work with human hair and that every hair carries the genes (DNA) of each individual. My ‘Perfect Stranger’ has arisen from a compilation of uncountable many genes.
The title ‘Perfect Stranger’ is dualistic.
It revers directly to the question if manipulating with DNA and genes is justified aesthetically, both at medical - and beauty level. More and more people aim for general beauty ideals (witch I call the barbie-syndroom).
Do we need the perfect human? Does ‘perfection’ satisfy our needs? Or will the ‘new human’ be so average, we start to revalue the singulatity of the individual, inspite of all additional shortcomings.
For me the ‘Perfect Stranger’ isn’t attractive nor viable.
Male figure crochet with human hair.
Female figure crochet with human hair.
Installation:’Love is the Devil’, the Notelaer, Belgium.
During ’ Mo(Nu)ment@Bornem’, 2004’.
