As an artist, Kathleen McDermott has created numerous absurdist wearable and robotic interfaces which she documents through video and performance and exhibits internationally. Completed projects have included a dress that produces a cloud of fog when the wearer is feeling stressed, and a mass of robots designed to take her houseplants into the sun. Her practice includes material experimentation using processes such as mold making, 3-D printing and laser cutting conductive materials, to expand the possibilities of soft interface design. Conceptually, she is interested in how concepts of identity, telepresence and care, informed by intersectional feminism, fashion, and media theory, can impact a broader dialogue about how technology will relate to our bodies in the future.
McDermott is currently collaborating with a team of researchers across NYU and University of Colorado, to develop and test custom wearable hardware and curricular content for use in creative education contexts such as dance and theater, with the goal of broadening participation in STEM fields, particularly among underrepresented communities
TOOLS + MEDIUMS OF PRODUCTION
Film/Video, Wearables, Physical Computing, Digital Fabrication/ Prototyping, Media Art, Performance, Solar and Renewable Energy, Product Design