The Role of the Nose in the Birth of Psychoanalysis and the Way Things Might Have Been

Another piece from the Apron Archives, this one focusing on psychoanalysis and Wilhelm Fleiss, Freud's friend and mentor. The white frothy apron is apt for the Austrian context, but the sheer fabric makes the text a bit difficult to read so I will recap some of the content underneath the photos.

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Fleiss convinced Freud that the nose is the enter of all human illness—psychological and physical. Freud & Fleiss applied these theories in treating each other (picture 2 men high on cocaine, peering up each other's nostrils)

 

Male (nose), Female (nostril)

Inhale - life in, Exhale - life out

"Bokuno" Japanese "I am," used by males in self introduction, pointing toward their nose.

The Theories

"nasal reflex neurosis" causes masturbation

"gastric spot" - point within the nose treated with topical application of cocaine and cauterization

Fleiss blew it all by botching nasal surgery on one of Freud's patients, causing Freud to reject him and his theories and changing the course of psychoanalysis

"The only thing patients are good for is to help the analyst make a living and to provide material for a theory." Freud

With Freud, Fleiss "discovered" bisexuality & the link between cross gender identity and left-handedness

Biblical Bingo

Immaculate conception? An undisputed miracle, but what are the odds?

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Living Mold Jewelry

Tiny ecosystems featuring living bread mold. Be the first kid on your block to have an exquisite miniature spore forest dangling from your earlobe.

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Miracle Tortillas

Another false product from the Bureau of Common Sense. These were a big hit this past Christmas, and pulling off this miracle took a couple of years of experimentation. The tortilla depicted below has curled as it dried.

The tortillas were packaged in plastic zip lock bags, sealed with the following label on top.

A close up of the image used on the packaging (photographed in a church in Puebla):

Off We Go, Smack Into the Ceiling

A cloudy day at the flea market, an old guy with a battered carton full of muddy duck decoys, and the end result is a wall installation that can be either purely decorative or highly functional.

First the strictly decorative perspective, with Northern pintails and mallards flying in V-formation.

And now for the functional. If you work with a lot of butcher paper notes, as I do, you need a way to post them in easy view while working. By removing a few of the ducks, I have an instantly useful butcher paper posting board in proximity to my computer.

A Home Truth: Everybody Dies (and we will too)

Another piece from the Apron Archives. This one deals with the fascinating realm of death statistics.

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Intermission: Rubber Ducky

As long as broken statuary, dolls and duck heads keep crossing my path, the inevitable will continue to happen. This rubber ducky for mature bathers has been sitting in the corner of my bath forever.

String Theory: Or Three Ways to Walk Through a Wall

Here is another apron from the Apron Archives, all about string theory and the intriguing possibility of parallel realities, couched here in the question of whether you do or do not decide to make bologna and cream cheese hors d'oeuvres and what twists your life might take depending on that decision. Note that this and other aprons have been vetted by a physicist who said they pretty much make sense, which is high praise considering I never studied physics. But I am fascinated by string theory.

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The pocket contains...string of course. What happens if you take it? What happens if you don't?

This says, "Step One - make bologna hors d'oeuvres" with an accompanying do-don't chart and diagrams of the hors d'oeuvres.

A discussion of possible outcomes and quantum physics.

The bologna hors d'oeuvres recipe for the experiment.

Hem with additional thoughts on string theory. (The apron strings have additional text.)

The Apron Archives

Here are the Apron Archives, a hallway gallery featuring a series of extensively hand-embroidered aprons, each focusing on a different science topic—from gravity, to string theory to the psychological theories of Wilhelm Fleiss. The aprons will each be featured in separate postings. The "Gravity Makes No Sense Apron" is in the posting prior to this one. The gallery is in a hallway lit only by Christmas tree lights with hand-crafted copper shades so photography is iffy at best, but you'll get the idea.

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A mannequin hangs overhead in the gallery, wearing an apron that serves as the gallery sign.

The mannequin's apron reads "The Apron Archives - Speculative Science Fancy"

There are currently six aprons in the gallery. The wires from which the aprons hang are secured at either end by antique drawer pulls.

Gravity Makes No Sense

One of a series of heavily embroidered kitchen aprons, each examining a different science topic in depth. The title of this one: "Gravity Makes No Sense." These works are currently displayed in the Kitchen Science Apron Gallery, which runs down my front hall. Photos of the gallery as a whole will appear in the next posting. For now, enjoy the gravity apron.

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