The ART of the DRESS: Defining Women for Centuries
Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Magazine for over 36 years said, “Wearing a beautiful dress is about knowing who you are.”
As I draw near to another decade’s birthday. My thoughts are constantly about what is important to me. I am a multidisciplinary artist; a painter, an illustrator, a narrative artist.
I have painted and sold countless paintings of music, and that’s great for the bank balance. As I look to the future, I want to pull from my dreams and experiment with more to keep my soul intact. I reserve the right to do anything I want to do. If I am alive and have the power of thinking and doing, I will continue making art, because nothing else matters.
Women’s power. Where does it come from and how do women display it? Part of it is how we dress. This exhibit is specifically about the garments called dresses. Dresses provide the ultimate comfort factor for those who live for beautiful clothing. Wearing a dress projects endless elegance, charm and exudes timeless sophistication to give an archetypal touch of beauty. Wearing a dress can trademark one’s look, and we feel accomplished and composed, even if one doesn't always feel that way.
Perhaps the most obvious function of a dress is to provide cordiality and fortification. However, many scholars believe that the first crude garments and ornaments worn by humans were designed not for utilitarian but for religious, royal, or ritual purposes. Royal… as in “Queens.”
Putting on a well-designed and well-fitted dress can evoke confident emotion, increase self-esteem, and reduce stress levels. It gives one a sense of control over one’s appearance and enhances our self-image.
This exhibit incorporates a variety of paintings that encompass materiality, narrative texture, a rich, mixed media color palette that includes an assortment of meanings. In making these pieces, I employed many techniques that show the depth of what’s possible.
Dream the dreams!
I am very fortunate to work with a fabulous dress designer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Rosemarie Umetsu, who designs exquisite dresses for opera singers, performance musicians, and galas at Lincoln Center in the United States. It has been my honor to create abstractions of her designs.
This body of work is a tremendous amount of fun! I loved creating this exhibit. Enjoy!
