"hanging on the telephone"

"Hanging on the Telephone" JTO 2018

ob·so·lete

/ˌäbsəˈlēt/

adjective

1. 1. 

   no longer produced or used; out of date.

   "the disposal of old and obsolete machinery"

   synonyms:

   out of date, outdated, outmoded, old-fashioned; More

   
   

   In today's day in age, technology becomes obsolete faster than ever before. We are advancing so quickly, that objects are outdated after a couple years, to even mere months. For this project, I was given the prompt to take an obsolete object and incorporate it into an art piece. I wanted to take this concept one step further and make the obsolete object once again useful on a daily basis. 

   
   

   The idea of incorporate a rotary phone into a purse has been floating around my mind for awhile now actually. I first thought of and sketched a concept rather similar to this one in 2017,  but I didn't ever think I could/would make it in the near future. I am very inspired by 20th century trends and culture in my work, so I love finding unique and different ways to bring new life to these retro/ vintage elements. 

   
   

   The design idea came about through trying to find a way to incorporate my passion for design with my Studio Art concentration of sculpture. That in addition to my prior idea similar to this is what produced the final concept. For the process of constructing the piece, I first made the pattern for the purse itself. Then, I cut the pieces out of faux leather and sewed them together, and then I used board to give it some more structure. After that, I added the receiver of the phone as the handle, the coiled wire for the shoulder strap, and lastly the dial as the centerpiece decoration of the bag. The bag, fun fact, is also fully functional, with a zipper on the top. The title of this piece is inspired by the song "Hanging on the Telephone" by Blondie, one of my favorite artists.