My background
includes a degree in Advertising Design from the Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale and my artistic life/career has been diverse and exciting. I am always looking to experiment with new materials and techniques.
One of the
projects that I have had the good fortune to be a part of is iConcept, an annual fundraising fashion show held by the Art Center Sarasota in Sarasota, Florida. It is a standing room only, always sold out event and the
funds raised go to support their "Youth Art Education" programs.
What makes iConcept interesting and
unique is that the “fashions” are made by local artists using unconventional
materials. Each year about 25 local artists volunteer their time
and talent to create these wearable works of art. They are usually auctioned off after the event to the highest bidder.
My first creation
was a black velvet dress with geometric shapes stamped on it. The stamps
were created from faux finish sample boards. I stamped gold and silver metallic paints and included a
matching purse.
 |
| Paint Swatch Dress |
The 2nd year I purchased a dress at a
local Goodwill store as a 'shell' and proceeded to sew hundreds of paper paint
sample strips in a pattern of green, blue and black. The after-effect was a fringe
feel that moved and swayed as the model walked down the runway. It had a
coordinating purse made from 2 black paint trays, paint can handles and was spattered
with the colors of paint found on the paint samples. I also made a head
piece from paint sticks dipped in the colors, brushes and plastic drop
cloths and a necklace made of black beads and silver paint can openers.
 |
| Plastic Bag Dress |
My 3rd creation was a dress made out of
plastic grocery store bags. Mixed in with the bags were pieces from random food
boxes. I also made a purse from an ice cream
container and a headpiece from food boxes and paper grocery bags. One of my
favorite things about the outfit was the mini dress version I made for my model’s
toddler daughter. Our local grocery store let me borrow a shopping cart and mom
and daughter rocked the runway in their grocery couture.
 |
| Astral Queen Dress |
The 4th creation was a collaboration piece with a team that included two other artists
and my husband. We picked out photos that I had taken around the Sarasota area
and made transparencies from them. The assemblage of this piece was
quite intense. We had a large hoop skirt that had the transparencies attached
to it. We added tulle, wire and lights. The really striking part about this
piece was the large circular piece that went behind the model and behind her
head.
 |
| Baby Mama Dress |
My 5th and most
recent creation was an ode to the daily battle that many of us also know as
“motherhood”. I created it from plastic baby food containers, lids,
baby bottles and pacifiers. It was all spray painted in silver metallic and
evolved to resemble a “suit of armor”. Running with this feeling I created a
large back piece that also had three silver sprayed baby dolls and a “weapon”
that was made from an oversized baby bottle, plastic baby blocks and a gift
wrap cardboard tube – all sprayed metallic silver.
In closing I have
to say that iConcept has really provided me an avenue to run with my creativity
and has enticed me to push the limits of my imagination and even sometimes further than that
which I feel I can comfortably create. My ideas are already percolating for
next year’s iConcept event!
You can contact Barbara at barbaragerdeman@yahoo.com. For more information about iConcept, contact the Arts Center Sarasota at www.artsarasota.org/iconcept2015.
This is Week 4 of
52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Barbara’s post today!
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