Artist Statement Notes: Fashion and Textiles in Art
I took this photo at Galerie Dior but, unfortunately, forgot to snap a photo of the label information for this vintage Dior gown.
Note: this post came from journal notes I’m making as I rewrite my artist statement, a task that is part of my DIY artist residency.
As an artist I often find inspiration in couture fashion and have been reflecting on why, since I’m not particularly driven by fashion in my personal wardrobe.
It’s not been until recently that I’ve begun to think of my art as having some roots in textile and fiber art. As I do, this interest in fashion starts to make sense to me. Of course there’s the immense creativity that brands like Alexander McQueen and Dior put into their collections and all that surrounds them, but I think what I’m most drawn to is the exquisite attention to detail, care and craft in every stitch, as well as the layers of material, repetition of pattern. In my own studio, I’m always interested in how an additional layer of material or imagery can change impact the look of a piece, in dramatic and subtle ways.
The unique and unexpected juxtapositions in couture are also compelling. For instance, Dior currently has a campaign that places their garments and jewelry in a theatrical tundra-like environment; a space that does exist in reality but is reimagined in way that becomes simulation. Theatre.
Looking at garments and other textiles in museums, I find myself zeroing on details. A glance through my photos reveals that I’m also drawn to garment details in painting. The level of craft in the Filippo Lippi painting below, and its exquisite detail, kept me looking for a very long time when I saw it in a museum.
Textiles offer opportunities to see how patterns are repeated and reimagined throughout art history and how a shift in context, even a subtle one, impacts meaning.
Detail of the painting by Filippo Lippi, Annunciation, at the Gallerie Barberini. I was really drawn to the beautiful articulation of the sleeve in this painting.