I started this project by rummaging through my Halloween costumes for an object that had strong symbolic representations. I ended up choosing a wig because they have a rich history of being used to show one’s social status. For hundreds of years they were worn by kings, judges and the aristocracy as a sort of fashion statement separating the haves from the have nots. Since wealthier people wore them, they were typically well maintained and clean.
I wanted to repurpose the object for a function that had the opposite associations, so I transformed it into a feather duster. Whereas wigs are extraordinary, cherished and associated with power, feather dusters are mundane, filthy and associated with subservience. My aim was to flip around associations so spectators could better recognize the material properties of the object rather than what it represented as a symbol. The audience seemed to appreciate the simplicity and clarity of the transformation.