The Tie uses a combination of conductive thread and wrapping wire ... The LEDs are in series
Three LEDs light
Then four
THE SWITCH
MEANWHILE...
The binder is cut and fit onto the form
The back of the shirt is left in place
In which the difference between the pattern and the actual thing is investigated
and it is discovered that Mandy has stealth sewing skills and can cut very straight lines.
I began this but forgot to continue.
The difference between an alkaline battery and a NiMH is learned in the field. Forward and reverse current as well as amperage are also re/discovered.
Early Breadboard Mock-up... refresher on parallel and series set-ups
S-FLuXes up and running but they need a lot of power... Is there a planet where 36V is comfortably wearable? Maybe the Jolly Green Giant is available for fitting purposes.
The S-Fluxes match the tie. Do I have to let go of my careful tie shopping for the sake of wearability?
New Power Scheme... individual batteries attached to tie's interfacing. Seperate power but ground is connected
Meanwhile... the binder is pinned—albeit crookedly—but I have been assured that my mini sewing lesson will take care of all of that...
The T-shirt itself is too thin and has been replaced by a *cotton stretch* fabric.
I thought there might be some way to spin this device so that it could compress instead of inflate... This did not work but did provide a potential solution for men who might want to temporarily suggest a bust... A altogether different project...
•Fiber Optic cables were played with and briefly reconsidered and acquired just in case for a more a non intermittent light source...
•Iron-on reflective tape was also purchased for a non-electronic illumination approach
•A user to test the binder was identified!!
•After a few ties that had patterns and lives of their own,
a tie was purchased whose pattern looks very similar to the S-FLUX LEDs themselves. Goin
•Wrapping wire was purchased after too many attempts to get the four pronged LEDS to light using conductive thread. I think the thread will be used to hold the wrapping wire in place.
•Pinned and did preliminary sewing for binder...sewing with a machine should be next
•Armed with wrapping wire LEDs were put in place and tested
A still from von Sternberg's 1941 noir The Shanghai Gesture
Often the use of the word gesture is used in the positive. "It was a nice gesture," for example, is used to describe a courtesy or an act of friendship. Of course a gesture can be negative, a menacing gesture etc, but part of the very definition of the word—albeit rather far down on the list—is this idea of a nicety, a common courtesy.
I thought about this again this week because I was trying to figure out where and how to switch off the LEDs for the "signaling" part of the binder. A momentary switch is like a flash: a flash of light a flash of a smile. In a city of millions these are the encounters that stand out. A genuine moment shared with a stranger.
I have a tiny momentary switch that might fit nicely on the front of the tie or on the cuff of the shirt. I would like it to fit in seamlessly with a "normal" gesture--straightening a tie, pulling on one's cuffs, adjusting one's collar?
Above: Handa an old form of currency used in the Congo made of copper...
I’ve always been interested in the spatialization of ideas or ways in which an idea could literally take up space. As a kid I remember finding out that a sculptural piece that had been stationed on the shelf in the living room was actually an ancient form of African currency. Somehow the idea that a metal object with dimension and heft could be used for trade and exchange was baffling to me. When I think about this piece I think specifically about an object representing its value by way of its materials—copper—and shape/form—two crossed vectors.
String as sculpture
String as writing...
After reading Talking Knots I immediately tried to find an image of the knotted strings. Although I read that the use of color was an important element of the knotting system I was disappointed that I couldn't find more images of colored khipu.
The monochromatic palettte easily reminded me of Eva Hesse. But when I really looked and thought about the comparison the installation of Hesse's work in space as sculpture seemed to be a major distinction. Khipu it seems was read by hand (like braille) and by eye. They seem decidely 2D.
"Binary oppositions were a hallmark of the region's peoples..."
Aesthetic aside, I was also intrigued by the dimensionality and complexity of the Khipu writing system. Comprehension literally seems to enforce a completely different orientation on the part of the reader. I think this very simple idea that context/history/culture changes how you read and understand things was also apparent. The article suggests that it was not until the myriad codes suggested by the textiles themselves were read and historicized did that the myriad meanings of the Khipu were revealed. Or perhaps the significant detail of the reinterpretation of the system lies in the particular orientation of the readers themselves. It seemed striking —and yet not at all surprising —that the updated database of Khipu meanings is a collaboration between the anthropologist Urton and the software developer/weaver/mathematician, Brazine. Apparently It is an interdisciplinary code...
Sheila Pepe's work...
Often crocheted and a web-like organic approach to taking up space. A different secret language of knots...
Here is the more processed version. This uses two layers... The outermost layer is a dress shirt and tie—the most obvious signifier of masculinity||power||privilege —that I can think of right now. The second layer is the wrapped binder. The binder is attached to an undershirt that is secured underneath the outer layer. It can be wrapped around the chest area and then fastened underneath the armpit. I think the front of the t-shirt will be cut away but the back will remain. This material will be something smooth/comfortable.
I haven't decided exactly what the back might look like. It could be the back of the oxford cloth shirt or provide a cutaway view...
The S-Flux LEDs arrived on tuesday so finally it is possible to begin to incorporate thoughts of these into the picture.
Although this is not the material I do imagine a combination of soft, textured materials and hard/electronic ones for the signaling mechanism. 
Not fuzz per se but something that looks and suggets touch/feel. I also just ordered this reflective tape. It is iron-on and washable and specifically made for fabrics.
I've been modifying old t-shirts in an effort to pin down the design of the binder. Although I've found someone to user test for me at this point it's faster to try it on and modify it myself.
I've been experimenting with the compression model. Literally taking in the T-shirt to see what the limits of compression and comfort might be. The shirt does have to be incredibly tight though to begin to bind so pulling it on has become increasingly uncomfortable. I remembered these... which have snaps along the shoulder. Snaps underneath the arms perhaps?
I'm leaning towards a design that combines the two techniques: compression and binding. This is a modification of Shlomit's great idea to take the best of the wrapped binder (it's comfort and adjustability) and the compression shirt (its neat, undershirt-like appearance)...
This is the first sketch. Which basically entails attaching the binding material to a close-fitting tshirt.