2.19.2014- Response to Andrea Zittel

Andrea Zittel’s “ A-Z Carpet Furniture: Cabin”

Andrea Zittel’s “Carpet Furniture” project to me was something that intrigued me because it almost felt like everything in the 3-Dimensional space was being flattened into a 2-Dimensional space- everything that required space suddenly didn’t. Zittel turns furniture into a carpet while still keeping the idea of furniture intact. The carpet shows an image of a flattened bed, chair and table. These objects all in a way represent the sense of comfortability in our lives. These objects that represent relaxation takes us to the next step where it is better to have an idea of something, reduced to a flat surface than to have everything but with the risk of losing space.

I think that this project in relation to Foucault makes sense when Foucault talks about the idea of discipline, enclosure and the coding of space where a body is confined to a specific space. I think Zittel eliminates the physical idea of this enclosure. The segregation of a body is void when that space the body is confined to is reduced to a carpet. According to Foucault, our bodies, in space are oriented on a way that we are directed to someone of authority and respect and that our bodies are blocked away from each other. If we were to think of desks and chairs in a classroom reduced to a simple carpet, would this idea of discipline still have the same affect?

These Things I know for Sure

What makes us feel liberated is not total freedom, but rather living in a set of limitations that we have created and prescribed for ourselves

 I think that reducing the amount of material does not necessarily mean that there is a sense of liberation and freedom especially the 'rules'- the representation of that object is still existent. I also think that liberation is not necessarily a good thing. I think the limitation exists in order for use to appreciate liberation. The reduction of material in Andrea Zittel's carpet furniture still represents the idea of limitation through the boundaries of each 'flat' furniture but at the same time liberates us of the space normally occupied.