overview
Lesson 1 | Summary
Activity Pages
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lesson 1 | systems &
styles
activity | freedom & constraint
Andrea Zittel uses systems as the focal
point for her art. Interested in the relationship between freedom
and security in the organization of daily life and the systems we
create to navigate and structure our experiences, Zittel’s
sculptures and installations transform everything necessary for
life—such as eating, sleeping, bathing, and socializing—into
artful experiments in living. In her New York home (which is also
a work of art) “A-Z
Administrative Services,” Zittel organized her bathroom
under the following headings: Corrections, Tools and Implements,
Subtractions, and Additions. These categories and organizational
structures become the defining elements of both her life and her
work. Her “A-Z
Travel Trailer Units” offer customized mobile units for
cross-country travel that were actually used by friends and family
in cross-country journeys. With “A-Z
Six Month Seasonal Uniforms,” Zittel created a unique
set of constraints such as the use of squares or triangles of fabric,
or a single thread or string (accomplished through crochet) to create
a collection of clothes that she will wear for the duration of the
season.
Seeking
to attain a sense of freedom through structure, Zittel is more
interested in revealing the human need for order than in prescribing
a single unifying design principle or style. “People say
my work is all about control, but it’s not really,” she
remarks. “I am always looking for the gray area between freedom—which
can sometimes feel too open-ended and vast—and security—which
may easily turn into confinement.” Zittel says, “Things
that you think are liberating can actually be extremely confining
or restrictive, and things that you think are controlling can actually
give you a greater sense of security and liberation in the end.” Embodying
both of these sensibilities while creating both living environments
and the organizational systems to accompany them, Zittel’s
work creates complete environments for modern living.
Introduce students to Zittels work using the links listed above.
Discuss how Zittel's work addresses the two poles of freedom and
constraint. Ask students to consider the ways that rules can sometimes
offer inspiration and how the freedom of infinite possibilities
can often be creatively stifling. Cite specific examples such as
homework assignments, chores, and time limitations. Generate a list
of examples of when they have experienced freedom to constrictive
and rules or regulations to be liberating. Ask students to select
one theme, object, or subject and write about it in as many ways
as possible by incorporating a new genre, writing style, voice,
tone, or form in each new version. After sharing their versions,
ask students to discuss how the limitations of a single theme, object,
or subject affected their writing. |
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