Interview with Melissa Webb!

Melissa Webb is a graduate of the MICA fiber department and a prolific artist. The Baltimore Examiner features an interview with her, and some GREAT images of her work over the years.

I saw this dress and really started thinking about how the shoulders of a garment affect how it looks as a whole. I know we were talking about how women began wearing clothes with broader shoulders as they were coming into the work force, and this just reminded me of that a little bit. The simple shapes are very effective, as well as the elegance from the black fabric. :)

Inspiration, Perspiration and Intellectual Property

Many artists and designers, from Pablo Picasso to John Galliano, have found inspiration in the visual culture of other people, especially 'indigenous' cultures and their traditional objects.  As we discussed in class today, there has been a reevaluation of this relationship over the last few decades, especially by museums. Some cultures, like many Native American nations, have requested that ceremonial or sacred objects be returned to their place within their own communities, or are advocating for a voice in how such objects and artifacts should be conserved, displayed and shared by museums. As you continue your research to find sources of inspiration for your own work, consider the following: How can we take inspiration from another group of people, thereby paying homage to and celebrating their innovations, while being sensitive to their history, agency and traditions?

costume

I liked this costume because it is simple but very elegant. Amazing how that works. . . :)

Royal de Luxe

Check out this great video for some inspiration in movement, performance art, and costuming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfRh6ZE07QQ
(I can't figure out how to embed a video)

The Royal de Luxe group is responsible for this city-wide, days long performance of a giant marionette girl who lands on earth, wanders around the city (doing day to day activities, sightseeing, etc.), and meets up with a large-scale elephant puppet(who is also making his own journey around the city)before returning to her own planet/world. What I love about this performance is how detailed it is, from the costumes of the performers and the dress of the puppet to the uniforms of the puppeteers.

Project #2: Fashioning the Body

Throughout history, humans have invented myriad ways to enhance and constrict the body. Garments and contraptions, from bustles to ruffled collars, were often shaped by a society’s beliefs and the political conditions of the time. Taking inspiration from the images we looked at in class and pursuing your own research, invent an accessory, wearable structure or garment that reinterprets a historic element or suits a particular purpose today.

 Phase 1: 

Identify the source(s) of inspiration that will be your springboard into this project! Look through reference books, select an image from the slideshow, choose a particular garment, historic accessory or part of the body as your starting point. Generate ideas by writing, drawing or collaging in your journal. Sewing samples may be a valuable way to develop your concept.

 

Phase 2: Using only the materials provided (5 yards of muslin, black and white thread, scissors, twine, reed and millinery wire) respond to the prompt above.  

neat installation...

Head On

Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, Germany 

2006 

OK, so I found this picture in the new edition of the Art Now book.  (They have a copy of it in the library) I just thought it was really interesting. Especially going with our current thoughts of repetition and how objects take on a entire new idea in mass amounts... These are wolves, but in the way they are arranged, my initial thought wasn't "oh, gee, look at all of those wolves." Though I did notice they were wolves it was more interesting to look at the movement of the objects. It is like they are rushing only to run into the glass wall. Not to mention that they are suspended in the air and by no obvious means. Just thought I'd share... Really neat stuff.