This course explores the ways in which objects and material culture embody personal narrative. Moving back and forth from ephemeral traces of events and experiences to the culturally invested luxury goods that create legacy to the objects that facilitate daily life, this class will use, as its primary references, examples that draw from queer and African American cultures to underscore the potential of objects to tell the stories that not only reflect majority traditions and experiences but those of the disenfranchised, the details of whose lives are often obscured. In addition to readings that will provide background for class discussion, student will be asked to play the roles of detectives, archeologists, and curators at various sites around New York City. Each student will also be asked to create an annotated material record that reveals the public and private lives of one individual. That record may consist of texts, objects or any variety of media chosen or designed by the student. This blogs serves as an archive for the work done in the context of this course and related materials that become relevant to this exploration.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Boutique turns heirlooms into unique jewelry pieces

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4949184-kitchener-boutique-turns-heirlooms-into-unique-jewelry-pieces/

In the Canadian town of Kitchener there is boutique that turns family heirlooms into wearable, custom jewelry pieces. What I find interesting about this is the concept or wanting to have a family heirloom be a physical part of ones self every day. It's also interesting to think that re-purposing an heirloom doesn't seem to destroy the owners connection to the object. Heirlooms are considered precious items, so it's interesting to think that someone would be willing to alter it, which I think shows how much of the concept of heirlooms exists mentally.
Posted by Briana Lynch

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