RN: The Past, Present and Future of the Nurses' Uniform
October 3, 2003 - February 14, 2004
Mark Dion and J. Morgan Puett in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Post-Apocalyptic Nurse, 2003. Photo: Jorge Colombo | |
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This exhibition is presented in association with the Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Mark Dion and J. Morgan Puett will collaborate with The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) to present a compelling look at the history and future of the nursing uniform. RN: The Past, Present and Future of the Nurses' Uniform investigates the often subtle ways in which the uniform, by design, informs notions of identity, professional hierarchy and labor within the field. The exhibition addresses the past, present and future of the nurses' uniform by combining historical artifacts with the artists' creation of the Ideal Nurses' Uniform for the contemporary nurse and futuristic uniforms such as Bioterrorism Nurse, Diagnostic Nurse, Post-Apocalyptic Nurse, and Intergalactic Nurse designed by the artists.
Having mined the now defunct Marvin Neitzel Nursing Uniform Company (Troy, NY), Dion and Puett's research led them to historical nursing and medical collections in the Philadelphia area. The past, or historical portion of RN consists of nursing uniforms, artifacts and documentation dating from as early as the 19th century. Culled from Dion and Puett's extensive costume archive, the Center for the Study of the History of Nursing (School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania), The School of Nursing Alumni Archive (University of Pennsylvania), Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia Museum of Art's Ars Medica collection, The Museum of Nursing History, Inc. and Villanova University, among others, the objects provide a fascinating journey through the evolution of the nursing profession and uniform itself.
Dion and Puett engage the present by conceiving of the Ideal Nurses' Uniform in collaboration with a focus group formed of retired, practicing and student nurses, again representing the past, present and future of the profession, and from feedback from the nursing community at large through an online questionnaire posted on the FWM website. Through a reconstruction of the actual Marvin Neitzel factory in the FWM galleries, the Ideal Nurses' Uniform will be manufactured on site by FWM staff a part of the exhibition. Adjacent to the production floor, a media room features various portrayals of the nurse as depicted in Hollywood movies, paperback novels and television.
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Mark Dion and J. Morgan Puett in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Post-Apocalyptic Nurse(detail), 2003. Photo: Jorge Colombo |
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From their study of past and present, Puett and Dion imagine a future in which the social role of the nurse has been transformed and nurses' uniforms demand a more sophisticated and innovative design. Based partly on science fiction and new material technologies, Diagnostic Nurse, Bioterrorism Nurse, Post-Apocalyptic Nurse and Intergalactic Nurse are conceptual premises behind the design of ”The Nurses' Uniforms for the Future“. For example, with the aid of conductive fiber technologies embedded in the uniform, the Diagnostic Nurses' Uniform is equipped to assess a patient's vital signs at the touch of a hand, or comforting embrace. The Bioterrorism Nurses' Uniform protects the nurse in the event of a biological or chemical weapons attack, or toxic spill, enabling the nurse to endure danger and still administer care to patients. Part imagination, part applied future technology, The Nurses' Uniforms for the Future are an extension of Dion and Puett's study of the history of the nursing and application of the information gleaned from their interaction with nurses working in the field.
Born in Hahira, GA in 1957, J. Morgan Puett lives with husband Mark Dion and
son in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania. Puett graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with
a BFA in Painting/Sculpture and an MFA in Sculpture/Filmmaking. Recent group
exhibitions include Give and Take, Serpentine Gallery/Victoria & Albert Museum,
London, England (2001) and Evoking Histories: Memory of Water, Spoleto USA,
Charleston, SC (2002). Recent solo exhibitions include The Grafter's Shack,
Wave Hill, Bronx, NY (2002) and Nurse Grimm, a collaborative exhibition with Mark
Dion, American Fine Arts, NYC (2003).
Mark Dion was born in New Bedford, MA in 1961. Dion received a BFA from
Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, CT, and studied at the school of Visual Arts,
NY and at the Whitney Independent Study Program, New York (1985). He holds a Doctor
of Arts from the University of Hartford, CT. Dion's solo exhibitions include: Mark Dion:
Full House, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT (2003);
Encyclomania, Kunstverein, Bonn, Germany (2003); Where Land Meets the
Sea, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA (1998-99); and Curiosity
Cabinet for the Wexner Center for the Arts, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
(1997). Dion received the Larry Aldrich Foundation Award in 2001.
A publication will accompany the exhibition and is co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. This publication was supported through a generous gift from The Beatrice Renfield Foundation of New York.
This exhibition is supported in part by Artist & Communities, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Artist & Communities, is made possible by major funding from the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, The William Penn Foundation and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
In-kind support provided by Bekaert Fibre Technologies; Dupont Co., Advanced Fibers Systems;
Dupont Personal Protection; Joy Feasley; Honeywell Performance Fibers; Julius Zorn, Inc. (Juzo);
Joie Lazaroff, Scarlett Co.; Markbilt, Inc.; (MTL) Material Technology & Logistics, Inc.; Noble Fiber Technologies; Paley Design Center, Philadelphia University; Sauquoit Industries, Inc.; Silverin Corp.; Neville Strumpt; Valley Products; and W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
The Fabric Workshop and Museum is the only contemporary art museum in the United
States devoted to creating new work in fabric and other materials in collaboration with
emerging and established artists from around the world. Founded in 1977, The Fabric
Workshop and Museum has developed from an ambitious experiment to a renowned
institution with a widely recognized residency program, an extensive collection of work by
resident artists, in-house and touring exhibitions, and comprehensive educational
programming that includes lectures, tours, in-school presentations, and student
apprenticeships. All FWM exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public.
Hours: Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat., 12 noon to 4 p.m.
The exhibition program of The Fabric Workshop and Museum is supported by The Pew
Charitable Trusts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the
Arts, LLWW Foundation, The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Independence Foundation, The
Claneil Foundation, the Miller-Plummer Foundation, The Barra Foundation, and the
Board of Directors and members of The Fabric Workshop and Museum.
For more information, please contact the PR Coordinator at
215-561-8888,
pr@fabricworkshopandmuseum.org. For general information, call
215-561-8888.
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