Sustained Investigation #2

Part #2 (fully assembled)

(Top right, bottom left and right)

Beach Beetle

Approx. 2.5' by 1.5' by 1'

Materials: recycled fabric, thread, hot glue, wire

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

3D Design

10 May 2021

In this piece, my goal was to further explore my inquiry question: how can the form of the human body be activated and manipulated by fashion? Guided by this concept, I wanted to try and engage more aspects of my piece than I did in my first sustained investigation. While I loved the cutouts and thought that they were a really unique way to mimic and accent a figure, I think that this piece does so in a more cohesive way. Not only does the shape of the garments engage both the asymmetrical, imperfect aspects, and skeletal aspects of the body, but the fabric itself interacts with the mannequin in a really cool way. The top is ribbed, and this subtle stripe undoubtedly contributes to the piece effectively, rather than a solid, dark colored top which would serve as a vacuum and essentially disguise the shapes beneath it. I also used a crochet material, which had bold stripes of color. These stripes fell at heights that really engaged the chest of the mannequin, and the rough edges made the piece flow and connect with the model. The loose silhouette of the garment also helped to explore the shape of the human body, as can be seen at the neckline. I am happy with how this piece came out, and I think that a number of the factors above will help my viewer to understand the power that the clothes we wear have over the way we are perceived. Often, I think that fashion can be threatening to people. Even more often, fashion can serve as a shield to distract from other aspects of the person. In both cases, the person beneath the garment is not in touch with the clothes they wear. I really want my pieces to exist at the intersection of self image, fashion, and person. I wanted them to connect to the body, and not hide it but simply undulate with it. I look forward to seeing how my garments develop as I learn how to turn this concept into a reality.

To create this piece, I started with a very large crochet sweater vest, and a small ribbed shirt. Both of these items were thrifted by me, but never worn. I cut each garment into pieces, and used a sewing machine to rearrange and put these scraps back together. I then added wire where it was necessary to the darker, coverup type piece, securing it with hot glue. During the process of assembling these two garments, I also used scissors, markers, a ruler, numerous pins, my sewing machine, and a few sets of pliers to create the best possible wire shapes.

I actually did quite a bit of revision with this piece. First, I planned to create a sundress which evoked a connection to the human body through various cutouts. However, once I had almost finished the dress, I decided that the shape was not as effective as I wanted it to be. To adapt, I decided to turn the piece into a top with a very different silhouette, but I still made sure to use different methods to accentuate the same aspects of a person’s figure. I also had a little trouble choosing fabric for the whole piece. Although I love each garment individually, I do not think that the colors work very well together. I wish I had gone another direction, and perhaps used a thicker knit, orangy pink sweater for the tank top with a mossy, yellowish green coverup piece. Although it’s not yet perfect, I do recognize that my ability to choose effective fabrics when it comes to texture, color, and pattern is improving. I hope to be more satisfied with each piece I made! Overall, I am excited about this piece. I think it is a unique idea, and effectively accomplishes my goal. Going forward, I will think more about my fabric choice, so that any minor incongruencies do not distract from the garments.

. . .