Materiality

N i c k  C a v e - 

Glen suggested to check out the work of Nick Cave - an installation / performance artist who creates these sound suits that are considered for both the wearer and the viewer. The first suit that he designed was made entirely from twigs and Cave says that he had no intention of creating a piece to be worn, but rather thought that he was dealing a life-sized sculpture. 

Upon realising that he could actually get inside, he noticed the incredible sounds that resinated from within - prompted by a series of movements. He also spoke about the performative value - particularly when experimenting with an accumulation of objects, and was intrigued to note a person's reaction when putting the suit on. Suddenly they were transformed and inspired, becoming overtly joyous without shame or fear. Simultaneously, the viewer experiences something other-worldy and is perhaps influenced visually and emotionally.

M y  C r e a t i v e  I n t e n t i o n - 

A  w o r k  i n  p r o g r e s s.

Actually sitting down in an attempt to define what I'm about as a designer feels really personal and is really difficult to nut out. At the time, I was not only endeavouring to visualise a common thread with my aesthetic, but also to consider the reasons why. Perhaps a little too thoughtful for the task at hand, but I myself am so constantly questioning the reason I, or rather we do what we do, that it seemed too integral to leave out. Now that my abstract and image is in print, I'll try to expand on what I got down, in consideration of the feedback I received and what I've worked out since then.

The first few paragraphs:

I am often inspired by clothes that transcend functional distinction; fashion that tells a story or perhaps isolates an individual character. I usually try to pack a lot into my own work, which I think is reminiscent of my personality. There's often a real contrast between conceptual exploration and aesthetic expression, where I'm intrigued by societal issues, human perception and our interaction with the world around us. 

While the nature of my work is generally profound, visually, I'm interested in a more theatrical expression. Explorative in colour, texture and print, I'm aspiring to execute a prototype range that any audience can understand and appreciate, without necessarily being involved in the concept. I'd like my collection to still be driven by the whim of fashion - creating whole 'looks' that also incorporate an exploration of complimentary accessories. 

This is the image that I created in response to what I'd written. Rather than collating a series of fashion images, I took an illustration of the brain and made it into a print. I innately packed a lot into it and payed super-close attention to detail. 

Trips to Bunnings are always fun - scouring through potential materials to apply to the body. Ahhh, and overwhelming. I was instantly thinking of plastic for the bricolage concept. I had the image of a hoarder in my mind; thinking of a home, packed full of things. I considered a mop head and I very nearly bought horizontal wooden blinds.

A few hours later, I returned with: two metres of fake wood floor laminate, bricky's string in highlighter yellow and two hollow black foam pipes. (???) I was most excited about the laminate, as I could see that it would do interesting things and hoped that it'd go through my machine. 

I spend a few days trailing what the material could and couldn't do - whether I could seam it regularly and how much bulk I could deal with. I liked what was happening on the mannequin in these images, though certain that I didn't want to make a whole bodice using this method of folding.

While trailing various finishes, I discovered that the zigzag stitch worked really well - where I was able to bring together my infamous curved panels, meaning too, that there was ample movement from one panel to the next. I also really liked how the panels could turn back on themselves, creating a kind of facing, which appeared more like the edge of wood.

A kind fellow in Bunnings told me about a place in Bayswater, 

Resource Rescue.

Oh.

Mygawd. 

So amazing - an old (and lovely) dude at the counter handed me an empty rubbish bag and said, "we sell quantity. Fill this bag to the brim with whatever you like and it will cost you $25." (!!!) 

Needless to say, I came home with a carful of stuff I didn't really need, including a roll of bubble wrap.