Andrea Zittel's "A-Z Six Month Personal" in Comparison to Focault's Docile Bodies

Andrea Zittel’s A-Z Six-Month Personal Uniform is a conceptual gimmick that challenges society’s expectation. While working in the Pat Hearn Gallery, she was faced with the constant expectation of having to dress chic and fashionable. Although the expectations were high, her salary was not as high. She began to knit her own uniforms to wear to work. This became known as the A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform. The styles were mostly practical and accommodated the cold and the warmer weathers. Eventually she began to step out of her comfort zone and began to design clothes with certain ideas in mind. Her phase with wearing rectangular clothing formed the next project “A-Z Rough Uniforms.”

 

“Sometimes if you can’t change the situation, you just have to change the way you think about the solution.”

Her project, “A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform” fits perfectly under the definition of this aphorism. When one cannot change his situation, he can, instead, think positively about the solution and the situation itself will also change, too. In A-Z Six Month Personal Uniform, Andrea Zittel changed her solution, which placed the entire situation in a brighter light. Instead of doing what most people would have done, which is to shop for nice clothing, Zittel designed her own attire. This solution in fact made the entire situation whimsical. Zittel created her own uniforms, which allowed her to save money on her part, as well as design whatever she wanted. I believe in the very moment she decided to rebel against society, she in a sense, won the rights to this aphorism

 

I feel as if there is a direct proportional correlation between Andrea Zittel’s action in creating the uniforms and Docile Bodies. In the sense that Zittel is the prime example of an individual. She created her own designs for clothing because she did not want to spend money on new clothing all the time to look chic and fashionable just like all the other Gallery employees. Instead of fixing the situation at hand with the ideal solution, Zittel decides to make her own clothing. Focault speaks about how the mass creates individuals in Docile Bodies, Zittel becomes this example through her work. She breaks out of society’s norms and creates a gimmick that makes her an individual, thus proving Focault that the only individuals are created from the masses. Society has existed beforehand and have set the standards, but to be an individual, one must break this set of discourse. Zittel breaks the discourse by thinking differently. Instead of an ideal solution, she chooses her own solution. Her solution sheds light on her individualism, which challenges society and the fashion industries.  

Exploring "Docile Bodies"

               Focault's arguement in Docile Bodies refer to the basic control of society. In order to maintain control over the larger population. Thus creating a society that is efficient and proficient. This can be done by the Focault's formula for "Docile Bodies," which include The Art of Distribution, Control of Activity, Organization of Genesis, and Composition of Forces. Such formula composes the discourse in which we live in now. Focault's definition of discourse is something similar to the codes that shapes the characters in our society. Such that the general public exists in the discourse of the "Docile Bodies."

               Under the Art of Distribution, individuals are enclosed and or partitioned away from others. Through the act of enclosure and partitioning, it "diffuses the circulation," which in turn, prevents individuals from joining together in mass groups. This form of discipline requires the use of architecture. In that the design of one space will proportionately affect the discourse of bodies because enclosures and partitions are created by walls, furniture, etc. Through management of design, individuals can be easily separated as architecture dictates where one belongs.

               In the passage pertaining to the Control of Activity, Focualt mentions that by following a regimented schedule, individuals fall in place. They become automatic machines that follow one "temporal elaboration" of the act. In doing so, they must also follow the same gesture to achieve this form of discipline. Similar to the military troops and their strict training schedules, students also have a set regimented day, in which they all say their prayers. Another form of activity would be the actual tempo of each gesture. Such that all troops will march with their right foot forward in a single pace that mirrors one another and all students will pick up their pencil with their right hands. Using regimented forms of exercise provides another form of control.

               Through the Organization of Genesis, the general public will all fall into one form of control. Because of great attention to little detail and thorough organization, control over the masses can quickly be accomplished in the sense that there is no room for imperfections. This can be proved by the strict schedules and strict routines the troops must follow. Strict schedules set become the discipline. Soldiers act accordingly because such an establishment is known for it.

               The Composition of Forces talks about the composition of groups. Such that each group is categorized for maximum efficiency. This would mean each group is chosen for the abilities that they can contribute to society, yet this categorization will also affect their state of mind, which will promote an efficient mind and body. In the period of Industrialization, most work forces were composed of older citizens and young children. This was because both did not cost a lot to hire because they were unskilled. Since the simple tasks in the factories did not require a skilled worker, an unskilled worker would do just fine. In this composition of forces, the discourse was formed by the necessity for  efficiency and for maximum profit. Discipline forms control over individuals.  

               With this said, there is a direct correlation between architecture and the discipline of space. In which, the design of one place can have  significant impact in the placement of bodies in space. Through the act of design, one can grant access by creating circulation or discipline through acts of enclosure. There is no rule in how architecture can redesign a space and create new discipline, but it is definite in that through details, one can create a new space that manipulates and controls the bodies of others. 

Focault's Docile Bodies and Architectural Related Studies at Pratt

The space I chose is one of the freshmen dormitories on Pratt’s Campus. The Cannoneer court is designed in the most efficient way possible. In that there are two sides to the dorm, one mainly for the girl population and the other for the male. Both sides have access to the other side through the main lounge, workroom, and the lobby. Upon entering the Cann (as we call it) one will turn left, turn right, or walk up the stairs to the next level. In this journal entry, we will be focusing on the second floor of the Cann, particularly the girl’s side of the hall and the spaces that intersect the hall. With 22 rooms down one hall, there are approximately 44 girls living on one side of the second floor. These girls all share one bathroom at the end of the hall and a workroom along with a main lounge with the whole building.

Through the spatial organization, one can infer that there are only two directions to go to. One is to the communal restroom and the workroom, while the other is to the lounge and exit. Through this organization, there is no other space for the residents to wander off too. The narrow path down the hall suggests that it is not a place for communication. The horizontal pathway only allows two directional movements. If one must communicate in a comfortable manner, it can be done through the workroom or the lounge, which are on either ends of the hall. In this hall, there are many rooms. Each room is spaced approximately five to ten feet away from each other and is accessible only through the doors in the hallway. The placement of each door not only allows for each person to have equal amounts of space within the vicinity of the room, but it also exacts control over the residence. This idea is similar to Focault’s theory on how repetition and partitioning will break down collective dispositions and create useful space, as well as create equal standing among all. No one person has power over another. The shared lounge space and workspace are to encourage communication between those that live in the same building. Although communal restrooms are an inconvenience, it promotes communication because of the forced interaction with your neighbors. This enables freshmen students to create strong bonds with those who live in the same floor. With so many students living in the same hall, security is definitely a concern. Each door is equipped with its own lock system. Similar to Focault’s discussion about Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, the lock system, even if it is not actually in use, act as a barrier between the shared space and personal space. It provides legible boundaries, in the sense that not one person will enter another’s room, even if they know that no one is occupying the room at the moment.  There is a blind trust between those who live in the same place and share the same space. Residential advisors live on either end of the halls. This employs the idea of ranks to keep the population in control when needed.

Docile Bodies - In Relation to “Spatial Stories”

Questions:

Through the reinvention of one space, there is a distinct social dynamic that it recreates, in the sense that each “place” now manipulates the “space.” If such dynamics can be recreated numerous of times in different institutions (in the military, in school, etc.) how can this be manipulated in relation to different environments? (Especially in an environment where distinct rules have been previously set.)

In the process of the manipulation of society, how is order defined? In the way that society has social levels, what makes one person greater than the other and how does his status guarantee his ability to change the order of “space” to a more definitive “place"?

Source: Fancy Restaurant, Casual Starbucks, Obedient Class, Crazy Classroom, Casual Cary Grant, Cary Grant in Suit