3 Images
Submit three images of fashionable dress that you find compelling and would like to work with throughout the semester. Choose a mediated image — one that conveys fashion as well as its cultural context, typically an illustration, photograph or artwork (avoid pictures of garments from museum archives or costume collections) and remain within the course range of 1850-1990s. You are strongly encouraged to submit a family photograph as one of the choices; textbook images are not allowed. Your instructor will select the option most appropriate for the assignment, so be sure to list in order of preference. This assignment must be posted on the Learning Portfolio.
For each image provide the following:
1. Basic background information such as date, context, artist, designer, model — whatever is appropriate, and beyond a designer bio. Remember you will not consider only the designer, but the totality of information conveyed by the image.
2. Explanation for your choice: why do you find the image compelling – is it the aesthetic? Subject? Feeling? Memory? Narrative?
3. Discussion of its relationship to your design work and/or personal style. Is it similar or different?
1. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, Gustav Klimt, 1907
I chose this image because it is my favorite work of art in all of history. Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was painted in 1907. During this time, Klimt had begun to dedicate his works to the female portrait, though Adele was the only model he painted twice. The first portrait is representative of Klimt’s golden phase, and includes both symbols from Egyptian art and human reproductive cells, with the development of the microscope.
While I not watched Woman in Gold yet at the time, I became more interested in this painting when I first came to Parsons from all the discussions we had in class. Because the painting depicted European finery in the last century, I based my Drawing/Imaging Final Project off the painting, except it depicted a Muslim woman from Yemen. As I painted my piece, I was constantly studying the original, and all its shapes and forms.
In January 2017, I was able to see the painting in all its splendour at the Neue Gallery. The work was so captivating, and I found it to be the first painting that really moved me in a way that can’t be captured on camera. For example, I had seen many pieces of art online that I excitedly received at the Metropolitan or Guggenheim museums, but the beauty and the aura of the Portrait of Adele could not be replicated by photos. I’m not sure if that’s because of the actual gold used to paint the piece, the soft gaze of Adele and her slightly sickly figure, or the way she seems to float on top of the seat she sits upon, but the more I stared at the painting and the more the tour guide described the piece, the more drawn I was to it.
I feel that my life and art style had changed when I visited the Neue museum. The tour guide pointed out that Klimt had based his eye and triangle design of Adele’s dress off of Egyptian art and architecture, and that the circular designs on the chair were representative of human reproductive cells, as the microscope had recently been invented. It amazed me how subtly and aesthetically placed all these details into his work, which is an element I would like to incorporate into my work in the future.
2. Back to the Future Poster, Drew Struzan, 1985
Back to the Future is one of my all-time favorite movies. As I am thoroughly interested in fashion/wearable technology, this movie has been so inspiring to expanding my ideas and designs. I especially took interest in Marty McFly’s famous self-drying adjustable jacket and self lacing shoes in the second of the trilogy. The image I chose is the official movie poster from 1985 when the movie first came out. Designed by Drew Struzan, the great movie poster painter of the century, this poster depicts Marty McFly in his iconic orange “life vest” jacket, denim on denim outfit, and orange Nike Bruins.
After discovering Drew Struzan was the designer behind the poster, I was shocked to find that all his original movie posters were painted in acrylic, ranging in prices over a hundred-thousand dollars! I had originally thought that the posters were well-edited photos with the typography placed over them. The posters had almost a distinctly 80’s feel about them, with the title’s font, the DeLorean model, and Marty McFly’s high waisted pants and skater shoes.
This particular movie poster itself gives off the very essence of the futuristic movie, and incorporates the main elements of the story in a single image, yet without giving away too much of the story as well. My personal style definitely suits this image- very futuristic and tech/gadget based, mixed in with a bit of the 80’s clothing style that I love. I know many of my friends mock me for liking 80’s streetwear, but it really resonates with me and has affected my personal style.
3. Family Photo, likely taken by my grandmother, 1978
This is a photo of my mother (left) with her sister (right) on her 18th birthday. It was taken in front of their house in Luodong, Taiwan, the smallest township in the county of Yilan, and the hometown of my mother. The photograph gives me a sense of nostalgia and a relatable “coming of age” transitioning to adulthood. My mother is casually perched on the grape tree that one of my grandfather’s colleagues made for them. She remembers that the grapes were so sweet.
As I mentioned earlier, my style is very much influenced by the 80’s. While this image was set in 1978, many of the clothes my parents used to wear when they were my age have come back in style, and I have worn so many of my parents’ old clothes. I’ve stolen my dad’s high waisted pants and oversized sweaters as well as my mother’s skirts and shorts over the years and they barely notice it (and when they do they ask my why I’m wearing such outdated clothes). I also have a knack for upcycling their old clothes so they end up being forced to let me wear them anyways.
Interestingly enough, my mother designed the dress she is wearing herself, and my grandmother sewed it for her. However, it turned out the dress wasn’t really my mom’s style because she was more fond of wearing solid colors! She changed into another dress my grandma made when they went inside to celebrate. My mother often drew clothes for my grandma to make for her, since she was scared of using sewing machines after accidentally sewing right through her finger on my grandmother’s old 1800s style machine! My mom had such an interesting life, and looking through her old photos are like unraveling the small details of a book series and getting to know her better and better.
