One Size Fits None
Project details
- Year
- 2023
- Programme
- Bachelor – Photography
- Practices
- Autonomous
- Minor
- Hacking
The ‘Reference Man’ is a white, cisgender, able bodied man of average height, weight, size and so on. This man is seen as the standard, and is used as the benchmark for everything in our society, including design. He is hidden in almost every aspect of day to day life.
“One Size Fits None” is a collection of everyday designs that are intentionally altered to fit no one. For each design Lotte picked one aspect of the design that is specifically made in reference to the ‘Reference Man’. She then exaggeratedly altered this which causes the whole design to be inaccessible to everyone, creating odd looking ‘One-Size-Fits-None’ designs.
With this work Lotte light-heartedly criticizes the use of the ‘Reference Man’ and the accompanying ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ assumption within design through the use of satire.
Through this project Lotte wants to inspire change towards a more equal and equitable world. By raising awareness of the use of the ‘Reference Man’ among the largest possible audience she hopes to tackle the issue at its core. With her work she wants to challenge the functionality and accessibility of the ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ assumption in design.
By not offering a solution herself, but simply visualizing the problem, Lotte wants to encourage her audience to rethink and critically reflect on the status quo. Ideally her work will spark conversations about possible solutions.
The work consists out of objects and video work that will be showcased in an installation.
Artist statement
Hi, I’m Lotte. I’m an artist with a bachelor in Fine Art: Photography from the Willem the Kooning Academy. I am an inquisitive maker and prioritize intuition and fun in my work. With my work I often react to what is close to me. This often makes my identity the subject of my research, with my immediate environment – where I live, where I spend my time, what I delve into at that moment, and my community – being of great influence and a source of inspiration for my creative process.
I use photography as a means to visualize my research, but my interest in media is much broader than just photography. I take great pleasure in experimenting with new media, and in the past I have used video, installation, sculptures, creative writing and AI systems to realize my work.
A few examples of subjects I have worked on are ‘what are the power structures within my relationship?’, ‘Why do I love Rotterdam so much?’ and ‘Where does my affinity with the Latin-American culture come from?’.
My work takes you along with me on my journey of self-discovery, and I hope to find connection in the humanity of the answers I might find.