thresh
Hold
Pratt Institute Undergraduate Thesis May 2019
THRESH/HOLD
stemmed both from Funk’s participation within New York’s BDSM community as well as her psychological research on BDSM and primal scream theory. Within these contexts, an exploration of the relationship between vulnerability and connection that the BDSM community offers occurred. Primal scream theory tells us that the healthiest people are defense-free; Funk is inclined to believe that in allowing ourselves to become vulnerable and open ourselves up to pain allows us to come together, to align ourselves with our needs, to return to defenselessness as our strength.
This collection combines inflatable latex and clothing made from bodily detritus with flowing silks and intertwining knits to explore notions of corporeal vulnerability. Hair, blood, and balloons invite both the wearer and viewer into a visual dialogue that considers the fragile volume of a vulnerable state.
In response to this, in April 2019 selected pieces from this collection were staged as a performance piece at Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York. Each dancer entered the space from diverse contexts and practices, using touch and movement-based improvisational scores to explore vulnerability’s capacity to forge new paths of human connection. Through an exchange of intentional exposure and tentative connection, the dancers move through tension and arrive in a supported state. The garments used in this piece were also selected by both faculty at Pratt Institute and a panel of fashion industry professionals for a runway presentation at Spring Studios in May of 2019.
