Sustained Investigation #1

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

3D Design

28 April 2021

This is the first piece in my series of sustained investigations, which will consist of three or four other pieces centered around a common theme. I have always been incredibly inspired by the way that fashion influences the way we see ourselves and others. I am especially intrigued by how our perception of ourselves is reflected to the world through the clothes that we wear. Due to this, I chose to explore the way that fashion influences and interacts with the human body over the course of the next few weeks. Specifically, the forms and cutouts of my garment mimic the shape of the human skeleton, and many of the line patterns that are flattering to the shape of the human body. These elements of space, form, and shape are combined with my choice of subtle yet unique texture to create a final product.

This piece was much more process driven than material driven. I didn’t want my fabrics and adhesives to distract from the concept of the design, so I chose subtle colors and a pattern that didn’t take over the flow of the garment. I started by using scissors to cut out the fabric I needed from an old laundry bag, and an old rice bag. I then used one of my tank tops to sketch the shape I wanted, making sure to account for the stretchiness of the fabric, the space I had to sew, etc. I then pinned along these lines, and used a sewing machine to attach the two pieces of fabric. I then tested this shape, made any necessary small adjustments, and cut out the excess fabric. I went through the process numerous times for the neckline, sleeves, waistline, cutouts, etc. Along the way, I found myself being forced to overcome certain hiccups in the process, which eventually left me in need of buttons or a zipper, or something of the like. To stick to the style of the piece, I experimented with different types of latches. I finally settled on the most effective one, silver wire. I used hot glue to attach this wire both to the areas that needed hooking together, and to the neckline in order to allow the piece to reach its full structural capacity. Finally, I used a sharpie marker to trace the outline of the garment, highlighting the contrast between my shirt and the body. I am really proud of my subtle utilization of materials!

I went through a number of processes to create my final piece. In order to get the best possible results, I wanted to experiment a lot. In fact, I got pretty far creating the same shirt made out of a totally different fabric, but eventually decided the dark color acted like a vacuum for form, texture, etc. The fabric was also pretty thin, and couldn’t fully support the design I had planned. Once I had settled on a more effective and evocative fabric, I made sure to do some research regarding fashion design, and find out more regarding important elements, trendy characteristics, and ways that I could seamlessly incorporate these into my final product. I believe I was successful, and I’m really proud of the outcome. In addition, I experimented with adhesives for the wire, the gap across the chest, and how I wanted to latch this gap. I wasn’t sure if it would distract from my design but in the end it definitely made the piece a more interesting shape, and connected the two cutouts to create a really balanced look.

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