Artist Statement
Art has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whilst trying to determine my post-secondary plans and having to make decisions about my future, art was a pathway that revealed itself to me. My primary interest has always been photography, however, this year in Fashion and Design has opened up a new world and a new interest to me. Regardless of what I end up studying in college or the future, I know I want to include art as I think ts is endlessly inspiring and an integral part of who I am.
As an artist in the field of fashion, I think that I am still trying to figure out my style. I have only made two outfits thus far, and I hope to continue to design and create more garments. Through the process of making and experimentation, I believe that my style will emerge. I do know that I value neatness and attention to detail in not only my work in fashion, but also in the other forms of art I do.With all types of art that I create, I have the same general goal or purpose, and that is to inspire people and make them feel something. I want my art to evoke emotion, spark curiosity, and feed imagination in all of its viewers.
Without art, I think my life would have a lot less meaning. Art nourishes my creative side and my imagination, and without it, I think that life would get boring. For me, art is closely tied to my school and work life as I hope to study art in college and ultimately make a career out of it.
As an artist in the field of fashion, I think that I am still trying to figure out my style. I have only made two outfits thus far, and I hope to continue to design and create more garments. Through the process of making and experimentation, I believe that my style will emerge. I do know that I value neatness and attention to detail in not only my work in fashion, but also in the other forms of art I do.With all types of art that I create, I have the same general goal or purpose, and that is to inspire people and make them feel something. I want my art to evoke emotion, spark curiosity, and feed imagination in all of its viewers.
Without art, I think my life would have a lot less meaning. Art nourishes my creative side and my imagination, and without it, I think that life would get boring. For me, art is closely tied to my school and work life as I hope to study art in college and ultimately make a career out of it.
Visual Arts Standards
Visual Arts Standard #1: Artistic Thinking and Behaviors
I can approach artistic problem-solving using multiple solutions and the creative process.
While making my pieces for this semester, I ran into numerous challenges. The corset that I made was extremely challenging and it was the first sewn garment I have ever made. Originally, it was supposed to have a lining, which I made, but due to the boning in the outer pieces of fabric, the lining did not align with the rest of the corset. So, I decided to omit the lining and polish off the edges of the corset with different types of ribbon instead. Another problem that I ran into was the waistband of the pants that I made. I didn't use a pattern for the waistband and I had a limited amount of fabric. I wanted to originally make a v-shaped waistband out of the cream-colored fabric that I used for my corset, but I didn't have enough fabric left. So, instead I made a straight waistband that matched the print of the rest of the pants and added a drawstring so that the pants would cinch at the top and fit my model. I also ended up using safety pins to pin the waistband down to make it flatter for the show. When making my garments, I had a lot of technical problems with the sewing machines, which was challenging as it slowed down my production. To problem solve, I had to repair or troubleshoot the machines where I could, or switch machines completely.
Visual Arts Standard #2: Responding
I can apply literacy skills to describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate art.
Throughout the process of creating my two outfits, I made sure to describe and reflect on my work through writing. In the initial brainstorming phases, I sketched out my outfit plans and then wrote notes on the sketches to convey the specifics of my ideas. Further along in the creation process, I wrote a critique of one of my sewn pieces, my corset, which helped me to reflect on my work while I was still working on creating it. Additionally, I wrote a reflection on my overall fashion and design portfolio from this semester which helped me to look at my work as a whole.
Visual Arts Standard #3: Connecting
I can understand the relationship among the arts, history and world culture. I can make connections among the arts and to other disciplines, to goal-setting, and to interpersonal interaction.
A major part of this class was the end-of-semester fashion show. Everyone was required to have a role in the fashion show and my role was the head photographer. To get this role, I wrote an essay explaining why I was fit for this role and how I would prepare for and execute this role. For the fashion show, I also had to "hire" models to wear my garments. I had to select two models and then I had to get them to sign a contract, agreeing to attend the practices and the show, as well as agreeing to not back out, ensuring that I would have models secured for the show. Addditonally, the items that I produced for the show demonstrate goal-setting and planning as I had to plan out every detail of the outfits as well as manage my time and production schedule to make sure my pieces were ready for the final show.
Visual Arts Standard #4: Producing and Presenting
I can create an original body of work and and then select my best work to present it in a portfolio and an exhibition
Over the course of this semester, I was able to create two unique outfits that were presented in the end-of-semester fashion show. The concepts for the outfits I created were entirely my own and I tried to make most of the pieces from scratch. For example, for my redesign outfit, I came up with the concept of layering a corset over a kimono-style dress/robe. I completely made the corset from scratch, but the kimono and the pearl shoes were redesigns. For the second idea, my concept was to pair printed pants with a mesh shirt and layer a chain bra over the shirt. I made the pants from scratch and went off pattern for the waistband and then added other details like the gold bows and drawstring. An important part of presenting my pieces was how I styled them and how I styled my models. I paid attention to the hair and makeup to ensure that it enhanced the presentation of the outfits, therefore completing the looks.
Portfolio Reflection
This portfolio is representative of my work from Fashion and Design in the first semester of my senior year. This was the first time that I have ever done any work within fashion, and it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I think that this portfolio shows my growth as an artist, especially in this new area. As I am going to be moving on to college and am having to think about my post-secondary plans, art has been a pathway that has come to the front of my options. While my primary interest is in photography, this semester in Fashion Design, as well as my portfolio, have helped me to find another artistic passion of mine.