Fashion sketching....

Fashion Sketch by Vivienne Westwood 1995

So I played with sketching/making the formal sketches of the clothing and models I am creating yesterday. It was really fun but I got the forms of the models down, just bare skin and all, and it seemed so wrong to me to put anything over them. Like they were just beautiful enough minus the clothing I would adorn them with....
What needs to happen is that I need to forget what traditional fashion sketching looks like and do it my way. I am not a fashion designer I am 1st and foremost an artist who loves fabric and playing with fabric. I also love sewing and dressing up. Remembering what it was like to play dress up as a little girl is essential to the success of this project because really it is all about playing in this way.

The HeART Couture Prerogative

My new project coming soon with web blog page and updates. The 1st of the projects tasks is to have 20 sketches done by the end of the month. Here are 2 of the 1st sketches...very rough sketches! Also, my mission statement and information below:

Mission Statement:

The Heart Couture Prerogative exists as an experiment between the worlds of art and fashion. The journey of creation strives to emphasize the idea that art is life. How everything we do, wear, and say reflects an inspired ideal of individuality. Through this assignment the challenge of pulling resources, pushing inspiration to new heights, rallying community, and endorsing the greater good through charity will culminate in the exhibition of an experience known as The Heart Couture Prerogative.

Vitals:

I Keri Crown have very little previous knowledge of couture sewing, fashion rendering, ect.. What I do know is the creativity that is required to develop an artistic idea. From start to finish, I will attempt to create a body of work that challenges the distinction between the methods in which fashions created and the processes by which art is created. The previous knowledge of some recreational sewing and a lifelong love of fashion are the few assets I bring to the possible success of this endeavor.

Sezio - David Adey : John Henry

Sezio.org

David Adey by John Henry

Though nomadic in medium, the work of David Adey is consistent in concept and in the evident time and process behind it. A college professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, he works full-time as an artist between graduation and freshman orientation and this year his summer goal was to suspend a row of books between two walls with minimal support. Tests were conducted in PLNU’s Keller Gallery towards a final installation process, which was executed in a matter of days for the piece’s debut last week at La Jolla’s Athenaeum Library.

“John Henry” implements the traditional principles used in bridge design, with trapezoidal blocks pushing the books into an upward arch and thin wooden shims reciprocating the pressure downward. Everything used to guide the structure is visible and in a way mark the “backyard experiment” element of the process, which absorbed most weekday hours of 2009’s summer months. When I visited his studio in June, he had already survived a handful of “book explosions” in his first tests and had no sure idea of what would happen when he pulled the supports from the particular test he was assembling. The pioneer-like excitement of his expressions as he explained his discoveries was strong enough that I found myself curious about his progress all summer.

The finished work represents the human sense of purpose derived from working towards understanding and accomplishment, whether out of necessity or curiousity. Rather than laboring over a large body of work, time was spent learning the physics of his specific materials and developing a sure process of exercising them. He is an expert in a unique field and possesses an intimacy with books, clamps, sawhorses, and ratchet straps only available with long hours of study. At the opening, Adey could be seen casually spinning the cockeyed sawhorses like a double-bassist in a rockabilly band, a subtle indication of his unmatched familiarity with the materials. The following are answers to questions based on conversations that were overheard at the exhibition last week:

When did you come up with the idea for the piece?
I had been thinking about the idea in some form for a while but never took it any further than just thinking. When The Athenaeum first approached me to talk about a show, they were initially interested in some of my other work. After looking at the space a couple of times it seemed like the right time to pursue the idea. It was a last minute decision to pitch it to them so when we had our first meeting to discuss ideas for the show I didn’t have a sketch or anything. I remember waving my arms around a lot. They loved the idea and that was great at first, but on my way home I started getting pretty nervous. I had no idea how to do it or if it was even possible. Stephanie Scanga and Erica Torri took a pretty big risk since I had never done anything like this before. I found out later that they called Luis de Jesus after our meeting to see if he thought I was crazy but whatever he said convinced them to go ahead with it. I’m grateful to all of them for the opportunity.

When did you initially start working on tests and how long did it take you to perfect the installation process?
I did a really small test in my office at PLNU with my own books but it didn’t really work. I couldn’t do anything else until I had enough books so I started collecting right away. The Athenaeum invited me to come to their monthly Saturday book sales to take whatever didn’t sell, so I started bringing truck loads of books back to my studio. That went on for over a year and I started the first real tests last May.

What were your biggest obstacles in developing the design?
Too many and too specific to list. It was really a back yard engineering experiment. Every time I tried to fix a problem it would cause another one, so I felt like I was chasing it down all summer. The first couple of disasters were pretty depressing, but I tried to embrace the process and after a while it was actually pretty fun.

How did you land on the title and were there other ideas in the works?
Futility, pressure, spectacle, feats of strength, absurdity, faith, poetry, death. I never considered another title.

Did you work on other art this summer or did John Henry take up the bulk of your time? Did you ever consider throwing in the towel on it?
I worked on a few other pieces but this took the bulk of my time and energy. I did the final test installation in Keller Gallery on the PLNU campus which I let stand for a month as a stress test. I was on vacation for a couple of weeks and my assistant Jenna Morrow was texting me updates almost daily to let me know if it was still standing. I never considered throwing in the towel.

Do you plan on working with the same materials and process on additional pieces or moving on to other ideas?
I don’t know for sure if I’ll use books again, but the ideas that lead to this piece are some of the same ideas I’ve been thinking about for almost 10 years. I know some people probably think this is a huge departure from my other work but it’s not that way for me at all. I’m working on a few new pieces right now that I’m really excited about that require some education and new skills. For me it’s always the ideas that carry from piece to piece, not always the material.

What's next?
When the Athenaeum show closes, I pack up the truck and take it up to Luis de Jesus Los Angeles in Bergamot Station, Santa Monica. Luis and Jay are putting so much into this new gallery and after seeing the space for the first time this week I’m blown away. The piece will be very different since the space is more of a blank slate. After that I’m looking forward to a summer in the studio and spending a lot of time at home with our new baby who’s due in May.

Betrayal Dream....

Last night I had a dream and I woke feeling betrayed. In the past 6 months I have broken ties with several of my close friends I thought would always be there. I have had to morn the loss of their friendship and move on because I realized what cancer they brought to my life.
The dream I had that I woke up realizing I felt betrayed went like this:
My long lost friend Laura from childhood invites me and some of my friends as well as friends we have had since we were in grade school to London. We all fly there together on the long flight and set up in a kind of chic resort like hostel. Its not long and were all yacking away reminiscing on old times ect.. The time goes by, we play around the pool, do some activities together, it almost like we were at a summer camp, but I guess it could have been an all inclusive resort because they often have activities and do similar things. The betrayal part is coming.... So we were all going to get dressed up for something from what I understood. So I because I love this kind of thing and I will freely share and dress people up for fun, pull out every item of clothing I own to help everyone look there best. I walk in with my bag, pull it open and dump all the stuff on the floor. We all go through it, having fun dressing up, then we go out. I don't remember what happens between that and what happens next but this is where I felt betrayed and angry. We were all tired after a night on the town I guess because it seems I slept in. Everyone else though seemed to have woken up a little earlier than I had. So it occured to me they ,ust be by the pool and that I would liek to find my bathing suit to meet them there. So in looking for every one (and the rest of my bathing suit and the clothes I had dumped on the floor to get ready) I went into the next room where all my clothes had been played dress up with. Much to my chagrin, there was nothing to be found. The whole room was clean everything put away.
SIDE NOTE: 2 things: 1) I knew my friend Danielle had cleaned up because thats just what she would do. She is a very neat and organized person.
2)This is how dreams work you just never know what will be given to you as imagery... There was a very large tree growing in the middle of the room on occasion. Also the room would seem to expand and contract simultaneouesly depending on the situation. When the room would contract the tree would disappear.
OK so...My friend Danielle was the one staying in this room with a few other friends. So I peeked around in some of the droors there just looking to see if things had been put away by accident or something. As I looked around I remember getting more and more upset as I kept looking and looking and I couldn't find any single article I had left there. I called for Danielle she came and so did some of the other girls. I guess I asked her where my stuff was and she just laughed but gave no answer...which only made me more upset.Also because I was looking to get to the pool to meet the girls there as soon as possible, I didn't want to miss the fun! Finally in the far corner of the room underneath some blankets and other stuff I found my clothes.
SIDE NOTE: I wasn't naked this whole time. I think actually I was looking for my bathing suit to go to the pool. The girls who were at the pool are my friends from a long time ago, from grade school. Laura being one of them so I'm assuming in my dream they were not a part of this scheme to get one over on me.
Continuing... I was relieved to find my clothes but still pissed that they (guess there were a few others in on it but mainly one ring leader and one pawn) had played this trick on me. In my inner dream thoughts I remember thinking how I knew Nicole was the one who was behind this. That Danielle was a front for her scheming. In a way it was like Danielle's frame of reference for how she thought things were was stolen by and replaced with Nicole's.
The dream continued and I went to find the other girls I knew I trusted more than the one's who had played this mean trick on me. It was sad though because I really was looking for Laura above everyone else and all anyone could tell me was that she would be back. Since I was there though I told everyone what they had done and how I felt about it. I guess I was looking for them at least to be on my side.
The words/phrases I woke up thinking and wanting to look up in a dream dictionary were "hidden or misplaced clothing/personal items", "old friends", "betrayal", "angry", "sharing", "traveling", and "tree".
I really do feel this way. The events of the past have made me distrust people I felt I would never have to question. Mostly the dream is noteworthy because of the fact that the feelings have manifested themselves in this way.Dreams are great even still because they act as a mode to help me work out these feelings. They also point out how I have not completely dealt with these feelings of anger and confusion.

The CoCo Experiments...

So I have this idea about using my little CoCo as a metaphor for something. I spent some time taking pictures of her in different places around downtown: parking garage, empty trashy lots, next to graffiti. I'm not sure what it means but some of the photos have a real energy about them. Something that is longing to say something.
When I went out I thought that her collar she normally wears is was just too cliche, so I made her a collar and leash out of some rope I had. That felt right...but I wondered how to get her to not have a collar and leash at all. Although the collar and leash turn out to be a very crucial part of some of the photos because of the way the leash always leads back to me behind the camera. What does her being in the photos in that way say about me behind the camera? What does it mean to have a pet and take care of it? Why do dogs and humans have such a bond? Why do we still seek their companionship after so many, many years?
Why did I choose her? When I could have chosen any other animal. For instance, a cat. But, I'm not a cat person....What does it mean to be a cat person or a dog person? What stereotypes are linked with humans who love cats over dogs or vice versa?
Looking at the images I wonder if I should just forget that she is a dog and look at what it means to be the person behind the pictures holding the dog. Forget that she's CoCo my puppy I love and just let her stand for something, be a prop of sorts. Also, in all the images the rope leads off of the frame of reference and we know to me but it makes me wonder could it be leading somewhere else?

Just a quote from my favorite author...

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and Naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord had taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21

Skeleton Vision....

I had a vision waking up this morning of a series of paintings/artwork that would portray skeletons in everyday scenarios. Taking the dog for a walk, sitting on the toilet, making dinner, spending time as a family, ect. Then I would do a series of sculptures with the skeletons doing these things. My idea is that the skeletons would act as metaphors for how we are more than a body, how your time on earth is valuable, how your body is not who you are but rather only the shell of the person inside. Although our bodies are important carriers of aspects of our human traits, the do not make us who we are as people. They may allow or prohibit us from doing certain things important to our inner being but bodies do not define us, that is if we choose not to let them define us.