Dana's 'giving and receiving' dress is in the works

This week I have started another collaborative 'dress' with the Dana Hall Students, this time exclusively with the middle school.  And I am so excited because I am finally going to be able to create the 'giving and receiving' dress.

This dress is based on my dresstag practice, how I leave small, origami dresses, with good intentions or fortunes on them, in random places. If you follow me on instagram or Facebook you might have seen one or two pictures of these 'dresstags'.

For the 'giving and receiving' dress I am teaching the students how to make their own origami dresses and asking them to write their own fortune/intention on the back.  The response has been wonderful.  I am leaving extra origami paper in the art room so students can come in and make more dresses.  

I am hoping for a great number because I am going to use the small origami dresses that the students make to construct a large dress form on a wall in the school.  Once the dress is created on the wall, then the students will be invited to take a dresstag, which will deconstruct the large wall dress.  Also each student will get a dress with a good fortune on it ~ giving and receiving.

So my collection of dresses is growing and the fortunes that I have seen are priceless.  This is what I love about collaborative projects ~ everyone comes to the project with their own, unique gifts, opinions, thoughts and ideas.  Some of these fortunes I would never have thought of and I love them!!! 

A particular favorite is "may this dress keep the monsters in their own closet!" ~ priceless.

metamorphosis, the whole story, in pictures

'metamorphosis' modeled at Dana Hall Fashion Show

In February I participated in the exhibit "Fiberarts and Fashion" at the Dana Hall School.  

In conjunction to that show I was invited to create a collaborative project/dress 

with the student body that would be presented at the Dana Hall Fashion Show.  

The end product: 'metamorphosis'

it all started with a white dress

found at the thrift shop

objective: to create a dress/project that involved the entire student body of  Dana Hall

I wanted to create an opportunity for the students to reflect on their place in the world, as students of a very challenging and scholarly girl's school.  As I pondered the concept behind the dress, I came across 'Chrysalis', the story of Maria Sibylla Merian and the project fell in place.  

The idea of metamorphosis felt akin to my desires for the project; during middle school and high school there is a metamorphosis, students discovering their desires, strengths and passions while facing fears, and then 'emerging' as adults.  I wanted to offer the students a platform in which they could pause and reflect on their personal journey.

so I tea dyed it

first, i realized the dress was too white

and I painted, dyed and cut the original dress.

 then I took everything to Dana Hall.

I set-up in the gallery.

the first day I cut out 500+ butterflies

then Michael Frassinelli and I divided the butterflies into to envelopes for each advisory group.

 with this prompt:

As part of a collaborative project for the Dana Art Gallery, Artist-in-Residence Virginia Fitzgerald has been working with students and invites you to contribute this morning to the creation of a sculptural dress which will be worn in the Spring Fashion Show and exhibited afterwards in the Library. Each advisor group has a packet containing cut paper butterflies and Sharpie markers.  Each student is asked to simply write a word, phrase or short sentence, or simple image reflecting a wish, a dream, an inspiration, a memory, or fear on one of the pieces of paper. This can be written in any language, in any style, on any subject (personal, family, school related, etc.); these should be anonymous andthere is no wrong way to express yourself. When finished please return the pieces of paper and markers to the envelope and have a member or the advisory drop them off to the gallery. Thanks so much for you participation. Stop by the gallery throughout the week and after the Break to see how your words and images will be incorporated into the sculpture, or stop by and work with Ms. Fitzgerald directly. All are invited. Thank you for supporting the arts.

the next day I had 500+  emotionally charged butterflies

then the fun began . . .

the middle school student came and helped me  . . .

they made cocoons, with wax, glitter and more intentions rolled up inside

and they helped me outline each butterfly with black ink

and then they painted each butterfly with glitter medium to reenforce the paper

I continued to 'personalize' the dress. here I soaked the bottom in ink

the students also wrote on the dress, adding to the pattern/design

I used the india ink to create a vein like pattern on the top of the dress

there were many heart felt messages on the butterflies

during the week I was working at the school Mr. Fraz found this butterfly on the ground :)

It was very interesting to see all the different ideas, thoughts, 

dreams, fears and desires that were written on the butterflies. 

As I attached each one to the dress 

I wondered what kind of response I would have received 

if I did a similiar project with a boys school?!?!? 

then it was time for me to pack up ~

back to my studio (well, really my home, sorry girls).

 Here I attached everything to the dress ~ 

butterflies and cocoons.  

I sewed many layers of strips of tulle and netting, 

then attached all the butterflies.

 

I added grommets on each side so it could fit whatever student that would be wearing it in the Fashion Show

This is the first dress that I made that someone else 

was going to wear.  During the Fashion Show I felt like 

I might have been on Project Runway ~ 

nervous if the dress would fit and present well 

and I found myself saying that my model was at 'hair and make-up' :)

any thoughts Tim Gunn??

As I was adding the layers and butterflies my own forest nymph modeled the dress for me,

this way I could see how the dress hung ~

and how it moved.

Monday morning was the Fashion Show and my model rocked the dress! 

spinning and letting all the Dana Hall student's dreams and desires take flight 

and their fears just fly away.  

Thank you Dana Hall for supporting and participating so fully in this dress/project.  

As always it was a wonderful and enriching experience for me 

and I hope it was for you too!!

'metamorphosis' modeled at Dana Hall Fashion Show

The power of mothers: LOVE

I have always loved mother's day

(when you remove the commercial and hallmark elements!!)

what's not to to love??? Celebrating moms and love!!

a day of family, togetherness and love?? 

 

And now that I am a mom, it is usually a day I can choose what to do and that usually involves ART :)

But in the past years I have learned more about Mother's Day that I feel is paramount to share.

The history of how this day started in 1870 with a Proclamation for peace by Julia Ward Howe.  

Last year my Mother's Day post quoted her Mother’s Day Proclamation, and other interesting facts.

Yesterday Upworthy posted an article called The Radical History Of Mothers Day, reviewing the true origin of Mother's Day and how Mother's Day honors a

progressive feminist, inclusive, non-violent vision for world community. Amen!!!

generations: my mom and my girls 

Also via social media I stumbled upon this video by Maria Shriver that I also feel is important to share.  Besides the empowering messages from Eunice Shriver, my favorite: "you can, you must, you will", this video also speaks to the importance of mothering.  In this economy and culture, the stay at home mom is still viewed as a second class citizen, in our society much of one's self worth is based on one's salary.   But what is more important than nurturing and supporting the next generation?!?!

The video speaks to the importance of acknowledging mothers ~ 

so I wish to acknowledge my mother, 

Patricia O'Riley Fitzgerald, 

for her loving support of me and my girls!! 

Happy Mother's Day Mom!! I love YOU!! 

peace

Maria and Eunice Shriver: The Gift My Mother Gave Me

http://youtu.be/YjYuj4BvIsc

Growing a Gallery/ Fountain Street Fine Art: Virginia Fitzgerald talks about 'Rhapsody' by Jenn...

I'm published!!!

In the Garden #116

115 color silkscreen on Arches Cover paper, 1982-83

edition: Edition of 100, sheet size: 29 ¼ x 38 ¼ inches

Here is the link to Fountain Street Fine Art's blog, on which they have published an essay by me. It is part of a series of occasional blog posts by member artists, where a member artist talks about a work of art which has inspired them and influenced the way they work. They did a great job editing it as it needed to be shorter, but if you are interested in the longer version, my full essay is below, along with images of other pieces from Bartlett's work.

If you don't know of Jennifer Bartlett's work, I highly recommend you look her up.  I was introduced to her when I was studying the life and work of Elizabeth Murray, they were friends and colleagues in the  competitive and exciting New York Art world in the 70's.

House: Large Grid (1998)

Enamel over silkscreen grid on baked enamel, steel plates, h: 90 x w: 90 in

Growing a Gallery/ Fountain Street Fine Art: Virginia Fitzgerald talks about 'Rhapsody' by Jenn...: 

This is another in a series of occasional blog posts by member artists, where a member artist talks about a work of art which has inspired them and influenced the way they work.

Multi-Colored Lines, 2011
enamel over silkscreen grid on baked enamel steel plates
39 x 39 inches

Jennifer Bartlett and Rhapsody

There is much about Jennifer Bartlett and her work that inspires me. The first being her practice of creating rules and systems which she follows until they don’t work and then she breaks or alters these self created constraints.  One of her self-created systems is her signature steel plates.

Rhapsody, installation view of Jennifer Bartlett: Early Plate Work, 

Addison Gallery of  American Art, Fall 2006

In 1968 Bartlett began working on square steel plates coated with a layer of white baked enamel, then screen-printed with a light gray grid (referencing graph paper which she was using at the time.) Over this surface Bartlett used Testor enamel hobby paints, available in 25 colors.  During this time in the New York art world, Bartlett’s plates could be construed as a minimalist’s modular units or a philosophical statement on “the object”, but they were not.  Bartlett was tired of the paraphilia of oil paints, the stretchers and canvas; she wanted a simple, uniform surface onto which she could just work. “I thought that if I could just eliminate everything I hate doing, like stretching canvas, then I’d be able to work a lot more,” [as quoted by Calvin Tomkins in Jennifer Bartlett, Abbeville Press, 1985] The plates were a non-traditional, infinitely expandable painting surface that was easy managed and convenient for living, working and showing in New York.  They offered Bartlett a ‘place’ to explore, to experiment and to find her artistic voice.  She had realized that her better work came out of the process of doing and she wanted to create a ‘labor intensive’ method. “I was looking for a way to get work done without the burden of having to do anything good.  I wanted desperately to be good, of course, but whenever I sat down and tried to think of something that would be terrific to do, I couldn’t.  — Jennifer Bartlett  [as quoted by Calvin Tomkins in Jennifer Bartlett, Abbeville Press, 1985] An idea I relate to in my studio practice.

detail of Rhapsody, row 88-row 96

Rhapsody installed in the Atrium at MoMA, April 2011. Consisting of 987 enameled steel plates, the work spans over 150 feet, while maintaining an intimate interaction with the viewer.

Jennifer Bartlett’s seminal piece, Rhapsody (1975-1976) consists of 987 of Bartlett’s one foot square steel plates, arranged in 142 rows of approximately 7 plates each, requiring a total of around 153 running feet of wall space to be exhibited. Bartlett wanted to create a large painting “that had everything in it”.  She set her rules and themes.  The piece would include four figurative images: a house, a tree, a mountain and the ocean.  She also chose 3 nonfigurative elements: a square, a circle and a triangle.

She envisioned the piece similar to a conversation where subjects would ebb and flow; different voices would be heard and woven together.  The painting would include segments dedicated to line, to color and to different methods painting: freehand, dots and ruled.  She also made a rule about editing the painting, within one day of finishing a plate she needed to decide if the plate would be included in the painting or erased.

Rhapsody installed in the Atrium at MoMA, April 2011. Consisting of 987 enameled steel plates, 

the work spans over 150 feet, while maintaining an intimate interaction with the viewer.

Bartlett began Rhapsody in the summer of 1975, while housesitting for friends in South Hampton. She had the uses of a cottage in exchange for caring for the house and the garden. Bartlett got so absorbed in her work that the garden dried up.   Bartlett returned to New York continued to work on Rhapsody during that fall and winter, often logging in 12-14 hour days of painting. In May 1975 Rhapsody was exhibited at the Paula Cooper Gallery o much fanfare.  The piece received a glowing review in the New York Times and a few days into the show the piece was sold, in its entirety, to a collector new to the scene, guaranteeing Bartlett’s place in Art History.

My attraction to Rhapsody extends to most all of Bartlett’s work.  Bartlett’s systems, processes, ideas and the final piece captivate me.  I am enthralled by the story of her summer in South Hampton, fantasizing about having time, where she had her idea and was able to get lost in its execution, and only a garden suffered. I am bewitched by how Bartlett exploring different imagery, such as a house, in different styles, with different materials and on various scales. I am drawn to her uses of the grid, both on the individual plates, on a canvas or on the gallery wall.  

Bartlett

Focusing on Rhapsody I love the sheer size of it, so massive yet intimate with each painstakingly rendered plate adding to the sum of the parts.  The painting simultaneously pushes the viewer away to experience its entity and pulls the viewer closer for an intimate encounter with each individual plate. Rhapsody has been compared to a poem, each plate being a line or verse, together creating a sweeping narrative.  I love how Rhapsody includes everything, how it mirrored the chaotic art world of the 70’s, including styles from minimalism to pattern and decoration to conceptualism, and so much more. I am intrigued by how it is a painting as well as an installation.  But, beyond Rhapsody, what I appreciate most about Bartlett’s work is her uses of rules, that she invents and follow until they become inconvenient.  I am inspired by her systems that were a means to an end; a way of freeing Bartlett so she could just work.

detail from House, 2003
Portfolio of 25 screenprints, 14 x 14 inchesEdition 31/45  

"Boats" 1987