Objects in Flux - RMIT Research Repository - RMIT University

Objects in Flux
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cal and commonplace, causing the producers ‘abstract model’ of use
to appear natural, as if it arises from a natural condition of the object
rather than being imposed by external forces. Unauthorized use thus
becomes a deviation from the natural order of things, a form of deviant
behavior framed as a fall away from logic and common sense. The
consumer, operating within a territory controlled by others, is forced
to adopt a tactical response, manipulating and circumventing control
mechanisms, as they attempt to turn the situation to their own advantage.
While their possible actions are given by the landscape in which
they find themselves, they do not obey the rules of this place. Instead,
they traverse the space creating a second order, or disorder, overlaid
on the dominant logic.
Through this research I hope to have shown the transformative potential
that practices of object modification offer. While these practices
are often discussed in terms of functional or economic value, my
experiences in the field present an alternate story. Rather than being
orientated toward productive outcomes, practices of object modification
privilege processes of exploration for their own sake. The
transformative potential that these practices offer is both material and
social, abstracting the given environment to create new relationships
between thoughts and things.
7.2 Revolution
While practices of object modification are not new, recent developments
in networked communications and media production have
dramatically altered the conditions of their performance. The Internet
has enabled practitioners to reach a broad audience and connect to
a distributed network of like-minded people, collapsing traditional
geographic and socioeconomic boundaries. This shift in the nature of
consumer production has challenged established producer-consumer
relations and led to claims of social revolution (Bruns, 2007; Leadbeater
& Miller, 2004; Von Hippel, 2005). While acknowledging the
revolutionary potential of these acts, the research finds that the distinction
between production and consumption remains prevalent within
contemporary society. Although various acts of consumer production
have become virtually indistinguishable from forms of wage-based
labour, this does not amount to a collapse of the producer-consumer