Day 1: Too Many Dresses!!
Throughout this part of image week, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the women that lived before the 1900’s. Even though I wasn’t wearing a full hoop skirt, petticoat or skirt, wearing this amount of cotton and polyester was in no way shape or form a fun experience. I felt as if I couldn’t really take deep breaths due to the weight and tightness of all the dresses. It was also extremely hot in them. Thanks to this part of the project I have gained a new appreciation for the women that came before me……..as well as a new appreciation for pants and T-shirts.
Day 2: A Magical Fort
This had to be one of my favorite projects so far during this quarantine block. As a kid I would make forts with my friends and parents and we’d have a lot of fun and great memories. And now looking back, the one thing that I’ve loved since my childhood besides art is my love for Harry Potter. I could see the movie and read the books over and over and still never get tired of it. So when making this fort I wanted to make a space where I could both watch and read my favorite series and also have a place to do art. With that base need in mind, I used my big wooden easel as a center support post for this fort. I was able to wrap lights around it, have a nook for my laptop so I didn’t accidentally step on it and still be able to use the easel for its actual purpose. Even though we’ve grown and matured since we were young kids, it’s a brilliant idea to listen to your inner child sometimes.
Day 3: A Mask that Longs for the Outside World
I was inspired to make this mask due to the empathy I now have for Van Gogh after experiencing a month of quarantine. When the Starry Night was created, Van Gogh was in a mental hospital and he was painting his view from his bedroom window. Quarantine for only a month so far has been difficult for me and at times had me feeling like I was loosing my mind, I can’t even imagine how difficult it must’ve been for him. As a way to both honor one of my favorite artists and illustrate my hope that life will soon regain some sense of normality, I created this starry night mask.
Day 4: A Cotton Pond
Living day by day with out being able to see more than a few tree and birds has got me dying to go to a park. One park by me that truly immerses you in nature and serenity is currently closed due to the pandemic. Even though the Morikami Gardens may be closed, I figured that I could make my own! My favorite part of the gardens is the Koi fish and while I can’t see them in person, I can make my own.
Day 5: The History of Women’s Suits
From the beginning of the women’s suit in 1910 through its many changes across the decades to the present, these outfits have challenged gender rules and established women in the workplace. In the beginning there was the ‘suffragette suit’ which protested the hobble skirt and was worn to fight back against the legislation that was trying to keep the mandatory for women to wear corsets and hemlines no more than 1 inch off the ground. As the decades pass, we see designers free women from the constrictive mandatory dress codes and instead give them a fashion that could stand tall in a male majority work force and allow them to be proud and freely express their bodies. In and out of war times, women began to have the choice between skirts and pants. This not only established a more casual business attire for women but also continued to break down the gender roles. Women could become engineers, factory workers, politicians, business partners and so much more. And as the percentage of women in the workforce rose, these suits were just one method of reflecting that decade’s women. That is one of the many reasons why I love this apparel. It both allowed women to move freely and demonstrate their right to be apart of the workforce.
Day 6: Portrait Day
As I was scrolling through the Photographs of women through the decades, I found this women who just caught my eye. At first I was just so focused on the aesthetic of the photograph and the woman’s obvious style and confidence, but then I looked at caption. This photograph was taken in 1932 and this woman was wearing a men’s fashion suit! I had to know more about her. So like any person my age that is curious, I did a google search on her and this is what I discovered. Anna May Wong was an American actress, born as Wong Liu Tsong on January 3, 1905 9n Los Angeles, California. At the age of 56, she suffered a major heart attack after a long struggle Laennec’s cirrhosis and died on February 3, 1961 in Santa Monica, California. She was considered to be the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star and was also the first Chinese American actress to gain international recognition. she worked through many mediums, from silent film to radio. some of her films include Mr. Wu, Shanghai Express, and Piccadilly.
Colorful Future 