Vested Interest
May 25-September 6, 2008
Garments and accessories have long been used as a way to share ideas and to address topics of social and cultural significance. Vested Interest
comprises the works of seventeen contemporary artists who use dress to
investigate issues of significant personal importance. Historical
examples of adornment convey messages that offer an expanded context
for understanding the social dimension of dress.
Several contemporary artists play on the idea that adornment can reveal
personal opinions in a very public way. Lisa Anne Auerbach (CA), a
passionate advocate for social change, knits sweaters and scarves
emblazoned with text that encourages action. Others draw attention to
the act of garment-making, tying into a broader investigation of labor,
industry, and power. Undercutting “big business” and capitalist avenues
of production, Alabama Chanin (AL) designs hand-stitched and
embroidered garments that are constructed with care by artisans who
live and work in Florence, Alabama. Still other artists find ways of
linking personal history or beliefs to the idea of dress on a broader
scale. Mark Newport (MI) presents his hand-knitted full-body suit, The Patriot,
to simultaneously explore his own ideas of masculinity, stereotypes
about men who knit, and what wearing red, white, and blue might mean
today.
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