Museum Visit

I visited Google Arts & Culture's online exhibition on historic American fashion curated by the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC titled, "Fashioning A Nation." The theme of the exhibition was to present and highlight the various trends and designs that were prevalent in fashion during that time period. The exhibition includes sketches of ball gowns, dresses, shoes, bonnets and more by famous designers during that time such as Henry de Wolfe and Mae Szilvasy. The sketches were presented in a way that clearly dictates the changes in trends and design staples through those decades and included commentary on their impact towards fashion. I was drawn to this show because 1800s American fashion isn't something that I am familiar with but was curious to learn about.

Link: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/fashioning-a-nation/ggJCDunxd5wXLw?hl=en

Activity 1: Analysis

The sketch to the right is by Nancy Crimi and is titled Visiting Dress. The dress is primarily white with red accents at the collar, bust, cuffs and bottom. There is lace piping along certain areas of the dress as well to add to its design. The fabric is draped at the back to create more volume and also layered at the front to create more dimension and interesting details. This design was fairly popular in the mid 1880s.

This piece signaled the emergence of more complex designs as the sewing machine became more widespread. Tailors were able to create dresses that would have normally taken months in a matter of weeks. The design of this dress is very flattering. The upper body is more fitted to accentuate the curves while the lower body has more volume to acheive that hourglass shape. The contrast between the red and white also adds to the allure and sensuality.

Overall, I really like this design because the different elements (lace, colors, fit, draping) all come together to create this harmonious dress that is very visually pleasing. However, I would've added a red accent on the train at the back too to complete the whole look.

Activity 2: Comparison

The dress to the right is a two piece embroidered cotton dress which was prevalent in the 1870s. The dress to the left is a silk dress commonly seen during the Civil War. Though they may look very different in design, many basic elements are shared between the two dresses. Firstly, both have very fitted tops with a more rounded sprawled out skirt. Secondly, both feature padding at the back to make the backside fuller. Lastly, both have embroidery which was a very popular way to add accents to dresses during the 1800s.

The difference in the designs show American culture before, during and after the Civil War. Before and during the Civil War, dresses were mostly plain to conserve valuable supplies and materials. However, after the Civil War, American culture became more vibrant and open and this reflected in the designs of the era. Just by contrasting the two dresses, you can see that the one on the right is much more jolly with pleats and a ribbon. The color itself of the right dress is also brigther compared to the dark wine red of the left dress. Fashion reflects the ideals, culture and mood during any particular time and these two pieces are a prime example of that.

Activity 3: Thumbnail Sketches

I referenced some of the pieces in the gallery while drawing these sketches. Afterwards, I tried to take into consideration the elements and designs that made these pieces unique. Moreover, I researched some addition facts and information about the history behind these designs and combined them with my analysis in the annotation.

Incoporating Inspiration

The exhibition really inspired me to make a wearable piece of some kind as this was not a medium that I have explored before. I thought about how I could incoporate the fashion design and history from this exhibition with my inquiry and previous works. I was provoked to research about "shifting" where people utilize dreams to purposefully "live" in the past or different reality. With this, I begun sketching a concept thumbnail for a possible piece about this imperfect reality shifting. A concept in which one deludes themselves into another place but must confront their reality eventually. I brought that idea into a dress which at first glance, looks like a historical 1800s dress but upon further inspection, will contain numerous inaccuracies/"glitches" to signify reality.

Reflection

This exhibit really taught me alot about American fashion that I didn't know about. I was very intrigue to see many of the styles commonly seen in modern times embodied within these period pieces dating back hundreds of years. Moreover, the artistry and craftsmanship with which these pieces would've been handmade awed me. I particularly was inspired by the different patterns seen through the dresses which made me research about what type of patterns were popular around those times.

I especially liked the second sketch that was shown. The artist was able to recreate the texture of embroidery and silk perfectly with ink and paper. Moreover, the soft and supple color palette of blues and pinks was very easy on the eyes. One piece I particulary did not enjoy was the eighth piece. The posing of the dress looked very awkward and unatural. Moreover, the design wasn't my favorite as it featured a clashing vertical and horinzontal striped pattern.

I would love to create a wearable piece for my AP Art portfolio and this exhbition gave me alot of inspiration and references that I can hopefully pull from.

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