Freeway Artwork

On my journeys to discover what it is, that I find so fascinating about freeways I stumple across a blog which has a collation of artist that have used freeways as their muse. The below imagery and artists has been source from the blog below.

www.ifitshipitsher.blogspot.com/2007/07/freeways-overpasses-artists-muse.html

When viewing these works of art, the stillness and the overwhelming size and power of these constructions resinates.

I especially enjoy veiwing;

"Depature" by John Margis
http://www.margisfineart.com/

"Shift Desire" by Jamee Linton

www.jameelinton.com/urbanscapes.htm

"Overpass" by Jylian Gustin

www.hangart.com/art/artist_directory/artist.cfm?ArtisId=105&st=1

Garment Selection

This is design I have chosen as my final garment.  

I decided to construct this swimsuit as I think it is the most interesting design and the most challenging to construct.

Step One

Draw out a template pattern.

Step Two

Trace out pattern pieces. Add seam allowances.

10 pattern pieces in total for the front of the garment alone!!

I will have to take notes on how I construct this as I might forget which piece get sewn where is what order.

Pattern pieces in their positions.

Cutting out the fabric 

remembering to follow the grainline.

Rolla blade knife is very sharp and likes to eat fingers!

Positive and Negative

Another element which was also very important for me in the design process of this project was defined by the restrictions of the assignment. The restriction was that we were required to use black woolen lycra as our fabric.  

Black is considered not to be a colour. A quality of black objects is that it asborbs light and all colours, thus the same black fabric  layered upon black - intricate and delicate details are lost and do not have the same impact if it were produced in another colour. 

I didn't want to design a swim suit with amazing detail only to have the effect lost in the black abyss. I wanted to design something that would be interesting and immediately eyecatching without having to squint.

How can I make my design stand out? It instantly thought about using positive and negative space to make my designs stand out.  I would use the skin as the positive and the black fabric as the negative spaces.

Fetishes of the Flesh

Fetishes of the Flesh is the title for my 6 piece swimsuit collection. 

For my collection I wanted my one piece swimsuit to be designed with the following requirements in mind; 

- the ability to be commerical reproduced

- the garment must also be practical for the wearer thus not be too fussy as it needs to function as a swimsuit should.

- the design aesthetic should be new and innovative

As apart of my design process I have looked at the shape and patterns created by freeways and the positive and negative spaces created by the overlapping, weaving and layering pattern created.

Fashion equals Nudity versus Nudity equals Fashion?

Have you ever noticed that the Fashion Magazines that have half dressed/ semi naked models in their fashion photo spreads, are considered to be the more Fashionable and Artistic?

Sure the models appear sexy with an air of mysterious vulnerable beauty, but isn't the point of a fashion magazine to sell fashion? 

It makes me wonder whether the stylist's has any idea of what he/she is doing? There is almost an air of uncertainity where the stylist has perhaps been stumped and turned to the...

If all else fails ... Lets half dress the model with an exposed nipple in cipia tone and now the photoshoot becomes an entirely different medium bordering on soft porn/art.

And if the clothes don't sell the mag then an exposed nipple or two will!

It is human nature to idealise and worship the human form. We have been doing it for centuries from Bittochelli's 'Birth of Venus'  c 1485, to Hemult Newton's photographic body of work. 

Bittochelli's 'Birth of Venus'  c 1485

Helmut Newton - Rue Aubriot, 1975

Painters, fashion designers, stylist and photographers alike are constantly exploring the sexuality and beauty of nudity and the human form. There does seem to be a fine line where it could be deemed sexy and the balance between exposing the flesh.  This line is constantly pushed and pulled. Hem lines shorten, celevages are exposed or displayed. It's in our nature to idealise and worship the human form. We have been doing it for centuries.

This got me thinking about what is sexy? What do people consider sexy and therefore deemed beautiful?

A strong message which is being projected through mass media is nudity is beautiful therefore sexy.

Beauty = Fashion

Fashion = Nudity 

Nudity = Sex

Sex = Fashion

And then in cycles...

So Nakeness is vulnerable, Vulernable is beautiful and Beauty is Fashion!!