Skeleton: 2305
2025RISD MID 2026
Instructor: Laurie Brewer
Materials: Reused activewear and blankets (filling)
This project started with a book that asked: What will future archaeologists see in our
remains?
Unlike past civilizations, whose artifacts
tell stories of craftsmanship, survival, and culture,
our legacy is waste.
We live in a world where trends
dictate mass production and mass disposal, where
plastics outlive generations. When future societies dig up our past, they won’t find biodegradable remains. They will find skeletons infused with
microplastics, bodies that refuse to return to the
earth.
This skeleton represents
the future of humanity, a vision of what remains
when human bodies become synthetic, incapable
of breaking down naturally.
As we poison the environment, we poison our own
bodies. The more we consume, the more we re
place our organic selves with something artificial.
And when we die and decompose,
what remains of us is not just dust and bones but
synthetic materials that will outlive us.
Background: Chile’s desert dumpsite for 60K tons of fast fashion seen from space
Project was presented at RISD MID Biennial 2025 - Elements
Inspired by the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development
Goals—particularly the 17th, which ties together all
global issues—
skeleton is entirely from reused synthetic textiles, materials I’ve
thrifted and repurposed.
100% Polyester97% Polyester
3% Spandex90% Nylon
10% Lytcra86% Polyester
12% Spandex100% Microfiber
100% Polyethylene100% Polyester