Optical Laces

Optical Laces dress and installation in the exhibition ‘Out of Our Heads’ at the Ditch, Shoreditch London. This practice lead research employs analysis of embodied experience of dress in dance to inform the design and development of a garment designed to enhance sensory and visual perception when worn in dance. The research aims to develop an understanding of how clothing is perceived in movement by dancers, how clothing’s design intention, materiality and form motivates physical and perceptual response and what conscious or unconscious cognitive processes may be at play in this interaction. The methodology has employed analysis of recorded interviews and visual documentation producing data on dancers experience and perception of dress in performance. The research draws on interviews, observation and lived experience analysed in relation writing on perception, cognition and the body. A garment and short film was exhibited as an instillation in the exhibition ‘Out of Our Heads’ at the Ditch, Shoreditch London 2014. Curated by James Putnam and Vassiliki Tzanakou and funded by the Arts Council England and British Neuroscience association, the exhibition brought together artists and scientists to trigger human senses and raise awareness of mental illness. The researcher showed alongside Internationally significant artists such as Susan Hiller and Matt Collishaw. The research has been disseminated through a conference paper ‘Perceiving dress in action’ presented at the 4th Global Conference Performance: Visual Aspects of Performance Practice, Inter- Disciplinary.Net, held in Oxford, 2013. This paper was then developed into a 5000 word peer reviewed article for ‘Critical Costume’ special edition for the journal ‘Scene’ (Intellect published in 2014)