Esquemáticos is a series of works that link hand-made embroidering with the
symbolic representation of analogue circuit diagrams.
The project is an exhibition of large schematic drawings that have been hand-sewn
with a conductive thread and electronic components, so that the circuits are fully
functional machines that can be operated by the public.
There are 5 sound pieces, each measuring 300 x 150 cm:
i) A 555 integrated circuit creates sound oscillations in response to the public's
drawings with graphite pencils.
ii) An electronic organ has 8 push-buttons that correspond to the musical scale.
iii) A heart-rate sensor activates an LED light and a loudspeaker to the rhythm of the
pulse of the participant.
iv) An audio sensor connected to a relay that turns on an old radio or a turntable.
v) A breathalyzer measures the alcohol level in the breath of the participant and
converts it to an ambulance siren (tequila is optionally provided to help the public
activate the work).
These pieces are accompanied by several projections on worktables, showing the
process of creation of the works.
This project attempts to overlay the abstraction of technical drawings with
functional technology, creating formal and procedural connections between them.
We seek to couple the slow task of embroidering, --surrounded by stereotypes of
gender, class, craft and cheap labour-- with the low-tech aesthetic of old-school
analogical circuits and electronic components.
Esquematicos is inspired by many artists at the intersection of manual labour and
schematics, like the chaotic knitting of Elenor Kent, the drawn resistances of Joyce
Hinterding, the hand-made circuits of Laura Kikauka, and the wearable installations
of Leah Buechley, Barbara Layne, Benoît Maubrey and others.
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