Lara Zoë Steiner
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Impentus Critic: Kutan Ayata In Collaboration with Emilija Landsbergis
The Impentus is a fictional creature and mask that started off from the defamiliarization of a common object found in a 19th century Dutch Realism still life. The object chosen was a string of pearls. Through the manipulation of the pearl and its accumulation, the Impentus creature was born. Made from of a body of pearls from which legs grow out, the creature lives and takes over the form it attaches itself to. The legs, which are moldable and rubber, wrap around the shoulder and sits there as both a creature and a fashion accessory. Set into a parafictional universe, the Impentus becomes a common accessory. Within the body of the Impentus, herbs and spices and set. The smells carry through the strings of pearls that come out of body and attach themselves to the mask.
The mask is held on through a mouthpiece which works similarly to a pacifier. As the user sucks on the nipple, the herb and spice smells travel up the pearl strings and up into the mask.
The Impentus reintroduced in the original 19th century Dutch painting, Vanitas by Adriaen van Utrecht
In this fictional parafictional universe, the Impentus becomes more than just a fashion accessory. It becomes a way of controlling people. The mouthpiece becomes a way to keep people quiet while they watch the world around them. Due to the nature of the Impentus it is worn mostly by women. As it becomes an increasingly common accessory, the Impentus makes it way into mainstream culture and into Pop Art. It is seen as both a beautiful fashion accessory, and a piece of protest. The Impentus was placed into advertisements, works of art to demonstrate its impact on the fictional world. The pieces were then turned into postcards and posters which were displayed and sold.
Imagery of the Impentus throughout time
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