I was lucky to be asked to co-curate this exhibit at the Noyes Museum of Art with the Exhibitions Manager, Dorrie Papademetriou. I may be biased, but I think it's an extraordinary exhibit!
Here's my curator's statement:
When I was asked to co-curate “Seams: Contemporary Art to Wear”, I realized it was an opportunity to connect with some of the amazing wearables artists I had met over my years of curating fiber and textile art exhibits. My goal was to find artists whose work referenced clothing but might not necessarily be wearable. I was already familiar with the work of Harry Bower, Marian Schoettle, Diane Savona, Kerr Grabowski and Daryl Lancaster.
After doing research, I was thrilled that we found new (to me) and exciting artists to add to the list.
Diana Moore’s purses appear ancient because of the soft patina of age which she applies to carbon steel. These normally personal spaces are presented as functioning objects which open to reveal secret places.
One can only imagine wearing Marina Dempster’s shoes in some magical fairy tale world, yet they retain the form of footwear. Using the ancient technique of yarn painting, she transforms ordinary women’s pumps into sculptures which are nothing short of spectacular.
Marisa Dipaola’s installations take her garments to the outdoors, making the piece a part of nature and making nature an integral part of the work itself.
Ann Clarke’s knitted and needlepointed “story” coats portray her personal experiences and create images of family and nature.
Sandra Golbert’s beaded pieces evoke organic forms fashioned of coral, shells and other natural elements.
Jean Parsons creates three-dimensional garments using digital imagery and unusual seam placement.
Jil Weinstock’s vintage clothing groupings appear stuck in time and partially encased in rubber resembling preserved flesh.
Traditionally, the purpose of clothing is to conceal the body. This exhibition presents the work as hybrid; incorporating contemporary embroidery, fashion, sculpture and costume as metaphor of our culture and social environment.
As co-curators, Dorrie Papademetriou and I worked well together to combine work which incorporates or alludes to traditional textile techniques from hand-weaving to the cutting edge technology of digital printing on silk. Clothing is an integral part of our culture whether functional or decorative. This exhibit transforms wearables, intended for adornment for the body or not, from utilitarian to a legitimate art form.
Here's the inspiration, the Texas flag, after all Hill Country in New York City is a barbeque restaurant. The project was to make a backdrop for the stage where they have live bands perform.
Credit goes to the building architect for designing this project. Here's the plan that I worked from to create the backdrop.
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