Sculptural Garment and Adornment maker
My interest lies in using the form of the body to hold art pieces. It will only be perfect when it is all together as one performance of inspiration for that particular person. My work is sculpture over fashion.
I try to keep my design open-ended. I just have to let the material take me in the direction it wants to go; a set idea may make me force the materials into doing something they are not supposed to do.
Clothes are a representation of our culture. It is a personification of an industrialized culture where repetition is used in the service of the assembly line.
In my pieces, the intensive handwork makes the process the most important part and gives me inspiration. Chainmaille has been the catalyst to every other medium that I excel in; all of the mediums I enjoy are obsessive and have repetitive patterns. Through chainmaille, I have found my patience.
Chainmaille is turning into the latest hobby for little old ladies who want to add some spice to their beaded doodads. What I am trying to do is create a new association with chainmaille. I want it to be seen as a medium that lends itself to more than just chainmaille bikinis and suits of armor; there are bigger possibilities.
My collection is an exploration of different repetitive movements: the opening and closing of jump rings, the up and down movement of the needle, and the repeating shapes I cut. This repetitive process is used to create custom made garments, more couture than manufacture. It is perhaps a representation of a culture in transition to a post-industrialized society; one whose emphasis is not the production of goods, but concepts, innovations, knowledge, and service.
