Ieva Šlaičiūnaitė
Morphing as the core of the creative process
Against the background of contemporary art and fashion design, the study of morphing offers a unique opportunity to combine art, science and philosophy. Creative practice highlighted the realization that transformation in art is not only an action or a main idea, transformation is a tool. The process uses a personal creative morphing method to generate mechanical kinetic fashion objects, allowing a return to hands-on, non-automated work. The whole essence of morphing lies precisely in the concept that "[...] an object turns into another object as a single entity."[1] The artistic research develops the phenomenon of "Morphivity", which describes a constantly changing creative object. The process is more important than the result. After reaching one stage, the research only stops at it, gradually it transforms by changing the forms of its expression.
Inspired by the philosophy of Heraclitus, which emphasizes movement as the fundamental nature of all things, the study includes embodied practice and tacit knowledge. Analyzes how the body interacts with the object, matter and environment. This symbiotic relationship is conveyed in the form of a character, blurring the lines between object and subject in kinetic narratives. Considered how the visual language of characters, including gestures, poses, and choreographed movements, can be used to convey symbolic meanings, cultural references, or metaphorical concepts.
The main focus is on the study of the synergy of man, movement and object. By iteratively testing the "Morphing" method, inspired by different themes, the research aims to reveal the intricacies of the mechanics of the human body and their interaction with kinetic objects. The purpose of the study of the movement of the human body is to examine the dynamic interaction of the person, the object and the movement, ultimately defining the morphing process as the convergence of these elements. A mechanism development and adaptation laboratory is also conducted. Mechanisms act as a link between object and subject. The research operates in an interdisciplinary field, embracing not only the fields of fashion, engineering, mechanics and physics, but also performative disciplines such as theater, dance, cinema or performing arts. By analyzing kinesiology and art, the research aims to deepen the understanding of the artistic representation of human movement, contributing to the expanding field of kinetic fashion design in Lithuania and in the broad context of interdisciplinary art.
[1] Kostas Terzidis. “Hybrid form“. Design Issues. Winter, 2003, Vol. 19. No. 1, pp. 57-61, Published by: The MIT Press.
