Abstract
The images that are reflected in the visor of a space-helmet present a god’s eye view of the world and everyone who inhabits it. In this way, the helmet is a reminder of the insignificance of the individual human wearer in contrast to the vastness of space. As a life-sustaining cocoon, the helmet is a reminder of human vulnerability – the astronaut is both posthuman and all-too-human. This presentation will introduce the helmet as a sign of Man’s conquest over our environment that also deflects attention away from Man and onto his environment. I will then travel through the visor and into the helmet to consider the phenomenology of helmet-wearing, contrasting the vast visual landscape of space with the close and compact aural landscape that is contained within. These experiences are adjacent to, but distinguishable from, the post-gravity experience of spacewear. I will consider how the helmet disjoints and relocates the senses, and blurs the boundaries between the interior and exterior of the wearer’s body.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jan 2021 |
| Event | Face Off: The Provocation and Possibilities of Masks and Head Coverings - Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom Duration: 13 Jan 2021 → 14 Jan 2021 https://fashioninstitute.mmu.ac.uk/faceoff/ |
Conference
| Conference | Face Off: The Provocation and Possibilities of Masks and Head Coverings |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Manchester |
| Period | 13/01/21 → 14/01/21 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- space
- space suit
- visor
- mask
- face covering
- identity
- astronaut