Paper Prosthetic / Body Extension

In this project, you will design and construct a wearable or body-attached sculpture using cardboard and paper-based materials. The work should function as an extension of the body and actively changes how you move, perceive, or interact with the world. The goal is to think about how form mediates the relationship between your body and its environment, touching on elements of identity and perception.

This project is informed by Tiffany Funk’s The Prosthetic Aesthetic: An Art of Anxious Extensions.

A prosthetic is not simply an addition. It is an extension that both enhances and complicates the body. It can increase ability while also introducing friction, instability, or constraint.

Your work can explore this tension:

What does your extension allow the body to do?
What does it interrupt, distort, or limit?
Does it feel integrated, or does it resist the body?

The most successful work will operate in this space of productive tension between body and extension.

Your piece must:

Be worn or attached to the body
Alter perception, movement, communication, or spatial presence
Function as an extension, restriction, or transformation

Possible approaches include:

Amplifying or exaggerating a bodily function
Restricting or redirecting movement
Creating filters, barriers, or interfaces
Transforming silhouette or identity
Extending the body into surrounding space

You may draw from historical masks, prosthetics, performance, or contemporary sculpture, but your work should translate these influences into a clear, original investigation.

Materials

Cardboard
Paper
Paper mache
Paper clay
Glue
Wire or string (if needed)
Paint or other surface elements

Successful projects will demonstrate a strong exploration of:

Exaggeration
Proportion
Scale
Texture
Emphasis
Contrast

Evaluation Rubric (100 Points Total)

1. Conceptual Development (25 pts)

22–25: Clear, focused investigation of the body as extended/mediated; engages tension (enhancement vs. limitation, control vs. instability, etc.) in a meaningful way
18–21: Idea is present and relevant, but not fully developed or resolved
14–17: Basic concept with limited depth or clarity
0–13: Concept unclear, overly literal, or disconnected from project framework

2. Formal Resolution (25 pts)

(Exaggeration, proportion, scale, texture, emphasis, contrast)

22–25: Strong, intentional use of multiple formal strategies; form clearly reinforces meaning
18–21: Good use of formal elements with some inconsistency
14–17: Limited or uneven use of formal elements
0–13: Minimal engagement with required formal investigation

3. Integration with the Body (20 pts)

18–20: Work significantly alters how the body functions, moves, or is perceived
15–17: Clear relationship to the body, but impact is moderate
11–14: Basic attachment without strong transformation
0–10: Weak or unclear connection to the body

4. Craft and Construction (15 pts)

13–15: Well-built, stable, and thoughtfully constructed; materials used effectively
10–12: Generally solid with minor issues
7–9: Structural or material inconsistencies
0–6: Poor construction or lack of control