BEN MORxEY | THESIS

PROGRESS REPORT!

Here is the current state of “the patient”:

Almost everything is in place, the body just needs to be sanded again and then it can be coated in bright-yellow latex. The makeshift-gromet/ hole is where the wires that power the LED heart will run through and the throat has been added so that objects (i.e. pills, the hotdog I’ll be sculpting shortly) roll through into the body cavity smoothly!

Ribs are jutting out (and sturdy enough for people to bump into and not crack off), eyeballs are in the works and the LED brain will come into existence hopefully in the next week. 

Here are the objects that will either be inside, around or attached to the body. Inventory includes (all of which is still being worked on): 

- 4 Pill Bottles

- 5 Syringes 

- 2 alcohol bottles 

- 1 mini TV 

- 1 Heart (fully soldered as of last night!) 

- 1 Box of gloves

- 3 Stethoscopes

- 2 Testicles 

- Assorted pills (example of yellow pills shown) 

Sorry about the image quality (my apartment is strangely lit at the moment). Expect a lot more on the way in a ridiculously short amount of time!!!

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS OF THE PATIENT

Everything without a check-mark has been ordered but hasn’t arrived yet.

The arduino-based portion of The Patient will consist of an LED illuminated, latex heart containing a row of yellow, blue and red LEDs and a latex brain which will contain several RGB LEDs and slowly change color when they are lit. Both organs will be triggered by a PIR sensor which will be embedded into The Patient’s internal spinal cord. When participants lean over the gurney area the lights will be activated, beckoning them like a pin-ball machine or carnival game.

And finally, here is an in-progress shot of the beginning of the skeletal structure of The Patient:

Not terrifying at all….

PREVIEW OF THE Rx WEBSITE!

The Rx installation (which is officially in production!) will have a web component which will direct the participant to perform “procedures” upon “the patient”. Here’s a quick mock-up of what that will look like:

TEST SESSION FOR Rx

A testing session was held for an extremely simplified version of the installation concept Dec. 18th. Thanks to all who tried out the mini Rx set-up (Roberta Cooks and Pat Rogan in particular). Here are some images of what was presented to those who took the time to wander over and throw some pills into “the patient’s” mouth:

Participants were asked to sign into the clinic log sheet, then take one of the following cards:

Finally, they were directed to follow the procedure on the card which resulted in placing, tossing or dropping one of the designated pills into the mouth of the following (crude) 2D representation of “the patient” and repeat the process if desired.

NEW THESIS CONCEPT

The structure of this proposed thesis project is that of a small clinic in which adults can come and perform vague, absurd “procedures” on a splayed body. These procedures are randomly generated by a website displayed by a monitor in the room and will allude to issues concerning adult life that can unrealistically be exorcized from the “patient” via ridiculous operations and the administration of pseudo-mediations. The process of interacting with the elements in this space will be much like playing a child’s game like “doctor” or interactive board games like “Operation!” and is meant to simulate the playfulness of these activities while simultaneously alluding to troubling adult issues and offering a way out of them through essentially becoming a child again in this space. _____________________________________________________________________ TIMELINE

-Determine the physical elements of the model “patient”
-Create the physical “patient” / body out of latex, fabric, plastic etc.
-Build or modify existing medical tools such as syringes, stethoscopes, pills and scalpels
-Begin to formulate the procedures to be performed on the body
-Digitally design diagrams of the procedures
-Begin to design website on which these diagrams will be randomly displayed
-Digitally create X Rays that correspond with the diagrams to which participants can refer
-Build operating table or modify existing table upon which the body can be places
-Craft lip around table to keep objects from falling off
-Construct frame to fit over computer monitor on which the web site will display
-Create vertical light box on which participants can view X Rays (?)
-Begin to install the above elements in gallery space
-Light everything in gallery space

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LIST OF MATERIALS NEEDED:

-liquid latex
-modeling wire
-masking tape
-fabric
-model magic
-nail polish
-acrylic paint
-gloss medium
-existing objects to modify (medical tools)
-rubber tubing
-velcro
-a table
-translucent acetate
-spray paint
-computer
-web building software
-lights
-thick sheet of white plastic

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LIST OF TECHNIQUES NEEDED:

-web designing
-latex casting
-mold-making
-wood working
-painting experience (various kinds)
-sculpting
-sewing
-graphic designing
-armature making
-lighting
-exhibit installation
-web scripting
-inkjet printing
-time management

Detail of the “Patient”, it’s internal parts and the tools used to “cure” it