Liam Morrow

As coined by the Letterist International in the 1950s, détournement is "the integration of present or past modes of artistic production into a superior construct or milieu". I'm interested in this positioning of interdisciplinary work, as an inherently political act — How can it be integrated into the design process? In what way does the outcome differ, when using a contemporary tool-kit?

Method: A set of linguistic parameters are pre-determined, within which the analysis and (re)construction of objects take place. New arrangements, configurations, and juxtapositions are modeled digitally, deriving from typologies of found forms — collected by means of Internet dérive.

The framework deliberately delineates objects within odd categories of classification, for example, a talisman is represented using the form-language of a lightbox and an idol is represented by a drinking fountain. This creates a dialogical space between conceptual classifications of things and their material substance.

Physical (re)construction is a crucial aspect of the work — a distinguishing factor from the use of found objects. There is a practical engagement with the values, economics, and politics of productive labor, from artisanal craft to industrial manufacturing.

This project aims to unpack the social function of commodities (i.e. most artificial forms), as distinct from their use value. The consideration of artificial things, beyond their physicality, engenders a perspective on the culture which produced them.