summertime

With the opening of the play I'm working on, just under three weeks away, time has been cut short for anything extra besides painting and sleeping.....even the sleeping is questionable. The more I'm at the scene shop, the more I find myself dreaming of a lazy summer day at the beach. Preferably in one of these. all from Norma Kamali

the model as muse- the met

"Exploring the reciprocal relationship between high fashion and evolving ideals of beauty, The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion focuses on iconic models of the twentieth century and their roles in projecting, and sometimes inspiring, the fashion of their respective eras. The exhibition, organized by historical period from 1947 to 1997, will feature haute couture and ready-to-wear masterworks accompanied by fashion photography and video footage of models who epitomized their epochs."

Loomis Dean (American, 1917–2005)
Cabine of Christian Dior, 1957

Madame Grès (French, 1903–1993)
Evening gown, 1954

House of Dior (French, founded 1947) by John Galliano (British, b. Gibraltar, 1960)
"Lucky" Evening Gown, haute couture fall/winter 2005–2006

Bert Stern (American, b. 1929)

Twiggy in Yves Saint Laurent, Vogue, March 15, 1967

unexpected rainbow

Sometimes I surprise myself. Ok, well actually I do that often, but in this instance clothing surprised me. Somewhere around midnight last evening, I got the urge to sort through the closet and discard things I really shouldn't be hanging on to.
Buried amidst the fabric that had fallen off hangers long time ago was a pile of sequins. Suddenly a rush of memories. I've had this vintage rainbow sequin jumpsuit for years and totally forgot about it. How fabulous.

parachute

As an artist, you know you've "made it" when you exhibit at the Met...the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The iconic Norma Kamali achieved this honor very early on in her amazing career by having her signature parachute designs chosen for display and their permanent collection. It's easy to see why. Years later, this timeless design is still inspiring.

all images Copyright 2009 NormaKamaliCollection.com

"THIS COLLECTION WAS DESIGNED IN THE 70'S MADE FROM REAL PARACHUTES. THE STYLES RANGE FROM JUMPSUITS, PANTS JACKETS SWIMSUITS SACK BAGS, SKIRTS. TIMELESS STYLES UNIQUE DESIGN ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE FACT THAT THIS CATEGORY IS STILL PART OF THE NORMA KAMALI COLLECTION. NEW STYLES ARE ADDED EACH SEASON, CAMOUFLAGE PRINT , AND THE COLORS AVAILABLE IN THE NYLON PARACHUTES ARE WHITE FOR LANDING IN SNOW, BEIGE FOR LANDING IN THE DESERT , DARK GREEN FOR THE JUNGLE, AND BRIGHT ORANGE FOR SOS HELP!.
THE FABRIC IS RIP STOP NYLON AND THE CORDS ARE USED TO ADJUST LENGTH IN THE PARACHUTE STYLES."

labeled

I happened across a fascinating article this morning entitle Perk and Work. The feature story of Vogue.com caught my attention with the title, "The audaciously augmented American body, Sally Singer argues, is fashion's latest challenge", not to mention the picture was full of mannequins. So I clicked.
The article goes on to describe how, over the past 20 years or so, the "worked body" has become a new body type and designers are either having to work with it or ignore it. My summary does not do the article justice. It's better to read it in person. And like I first stated, I find it intriguing.

Labeled, mixed media, 8x16
click for more detail

There are several thoughts concerning the topic in my head but honestly, the first, no, third thought that came to mind was a piece I did a year ago. It is somewhat of a collage, with the antique label holders sewn on to the painting as well as a photo transfer of an antique advertisement.
This article haunts me to this day and probably always will. The picture of the stunning woman centered with the title above her head, "What makes a woman beautiful?" is burned in my memory. The question is as complex and varied in answer as the question, "What is art?". Who can really define beauty? The Greeks did but even then every culture around the world has a different standard of beauty.
And even as complex as this question is, we all have an answer to it. Be it nature or nurture, every single person breathing has an opinion on the matter.
For this piece of art, I chose not to answer it myself, but to take answers from society. You might remember, Dove's beauty campaign and the several commercials they made to promote positive body image? Most people will quickly recognize the billboards with the plethora of women...all different colors and sizes wearing white undergarments.
Well, I went to the commonplace meeting room of society, YouTube, looked up Dove's commercial and then spent a great deal of time reading the posted comments. Everyone has an opinion.
Those opinions were lifted and slipped into antique label holders to answer that burning question, What makes a woman beautiful?"
Everyone is quick to label beauty. And everyone has been labeled by society.

detail of Labeled
click to read some of the answers

and we're back!

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.

There are very few times in life you can just drop everything and go. The past two weeks have been just that for me. A cruise to the carribean proved to be a much needed break in the midst of this seemingly never-ending stretch to spring.
Our first destination spot was Key West, Fl. An almost instant love with the "Conch Republic" ensued. The beautiful city sparkled with color and a personality unlike any other I have seen before.
Two major observances I had while strolling the city streets were, 1. no one was on a cell phone. ( I almost felt guilty for using mine) 2. no one was dressed what i would consider "fashionably".
These people were all so laid back. Extremely laid back. Nothing really mattered to them. All that thought and planning that I had put into my outfit for the day seemed in vain....frivolous even compared to the care-free atmosphere. Don't get me wrong. I didn't regret being put together, but I couldn't help but notice that no one else but obvious tourists cared much about presentation. My mind ping-ponged for a while until the thought struck me. "Maybe this is a whole different style I just don't understand because I don't live here. It is an entirely different climate, way of life, etc" It was then that I purposed to try a simpler tropical fashion with my own little twist, inspired by the vibrant city. Enter paint pants stage right.

old navy top, custom-made paint splattered jeans, ae sandals,
handmade necklace (gift!) bracelet unkown

Bonus advice gleaned from trip to key west: If you ever are having a low self-esteem point in life, vacation in key west. I have never received so many compliments in one day at one time....hair, eyes, outfit, etc. The friendliness of the city guarantees conversations! :)