Dysfubctional Wearable

PROMPT: "Think about what function means to you or your culture. Consider ways to explore that notion through art. Using any material, create an object that is dysfunctional, but wearable. The definition of wearable is open here. Be creative! When finished take photos and video of yourself wearing the object. The object has to stay worn for at least 10 seconds."

 
Culturally, where imposed order left little space for quiet reflection, I’ve come to see stillness as a form of resistance. Like prayer, stillness can be a form of grounding. Like storytelling, the object becomes a vessel.

Process and Play

I began by cutting out a base from recycled cardboard, a material I love because of its accessibility and sustainability. It’s rigid enough to hold shape, yet flexible and forgiving, perfect for classroom or home use.

I layered colored paper in the shape of leaves to build a sense of lushness, then attached various artificial flowers I had on hand. Looking back, even those flowers could have been made from recycled cardboard or paper, something I’d consider for future iterations.

The final object became both a symbolic and meditative tool. Not something to wear in public or for fashion, but something to wear in nature, to reflect, to pause.

Materials Used

• Cardboard (base structure)
  
  

• Colored paper (cut into leaf shapes)
  
  

• Artificial flowers and plants
  
  

• Hot glue gun
  
  

• Scissors and X-Acto knife

Lesson Idea for the Classroom

Lesson Title: “Nature as Presence: Wearable Sculpture for Reflection”

Grade Level: Middle or High School

Objective: Students will explore the concept of function through wearable sculpture and use it to reflect on their relationship with nature and stillness.

Prompt: “Design a wearable object inspired by nature. It must be dysfunctional in some way it cannot serve its typical purpose. Instead, how might it invite reflection, rest, or imagination?”

Materials:

• Recycled cardboard
  
  

• Colored paper
  
  

• Glue, scissors, tape
  
  

• Found or upcycled materials (dried leaves, fabric, etc.)
  
  

Focus: Environmental awareness, symbolism, play, and material exploration.

Optional Extension: Invite students to wear their object in nature and journal or sketch what they observe while wearing it.

Artist Inspiration
An artist whose work aligns with the idea of wearable but dysfunctional sculpture is Rebecca Horn. Her pieces, such as Finger Gloves and Pencil Mask, explore the tension between the human body and the objects we wear. They aren’t meant to be useful, instead, they raise questions about movement, identity, and personal space. Like my own piece, Horn’s work challenges what it means for something to be “wearable,” using limitation as a form of reflection. 

Personal Reflection (with Cultural Connection)

When I first heard the prompt “create an object that is wearable but dysfunctional” it felt strange, maybe even a little silly. But that was the beauty of it. It invited play. I decided to ground my response in nature, a theme I return to often in my work. I created a large, overgrown flower mask a symbolic link to fantasy and the feeling of the sublime. To me, it represents a druidic presence, someone who is deeply attuned to the earth.

The mask is partially see-through, but not enough to comfortably navigate the world while wearing it. Its size and structure make movement difficult. That’s intentional. It encourages stillness standing in place, lying in nature, and meditating like a tree rooted in soil. It's not designed for practical function but for symbolic use an object to wear during reflection in natural environments.