topical fast (or feast): Abundant Couture: Student Work

Annually, for 3D Design I revisit this project with my students at Eastern Kentucky University. Each group goes above and beyond my expectations with this wearable sculpture challenge. Here is the abbreviated version of the project and just a sampling of outcomes. The project is highly adaptable for a wide range of ages, resources and media. Topics covered during the design and construction phases include fine art versus function, high fashion and a collision with sculpture, performance, models, documentation and responsible use and consumption of material. Mindful Matters...

Abundant Couture: A Wearable Sculpture

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Couture refers to fashion design and Abundant refers to many of something, a repeating element or plentiful amount. This project examines the mutual exchange of inspiration between the art and fashion worlds.

Objective: Students will create a wearable sculpture using an abundance of one or more materials/objects. The result must be wearable by you OR a model for presentation but does not need to be anything like traditional clothing. Your wearable sculpture may make very little visual sense and be totally non-utilitarian OR can be highly functional and straightforward. They need not be symmetrical or even hint that a human is inside.

Materials: Options include fabric, plastic tarps, paper, paper mache, real or fake flowers, garbage bags, bubble wrap, chicken wire, soap, thread, safety pins, glue, wood, cardboard, hair, foam core, hats, clothes, shoes, leaves, hay, and various found objects.

Hints:

§ Collect a large quantity of one or more materials, more than you will need.

§ Test methods on how to either glue, stitch, melt, tape, or weave items together.

§ Remember to measure your model.

§ Consider constructing your sculpture on an existing piece of clothing that you know already fits.

§ Consider what theme or focus the project could have, that may suggest what materials to use –OR-

§ Look at the materials you already have access to.

§ Look at the project as a test on construction and assembly skills, NOT SEWING SKILLS.

§ Consider and resolve the whole package, head to toe: hats, make up, jewelry, belts and shoes, prop and other accessories…

§ When you think you are done, you are not, add more. Scale and quantity count.

Vocabulary: Couture, Non-Utilitarian, Volume, Mass, Shape, Form, Composition, Hue, Line and Armature.

Recommended Resources: Nick Cave, Jana Sterbak, Clarina Bezzola, Alexander McQueen, Janine Antoni, “Ergotecture”, Louise Bourgeois, Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, Tim Hawkinson, Mona Hatoum, Do-Ho Suh, Cesar Martinez, Marc Quinn, Yayoi Kusuma, Jana Sterbak, Mee Ping Leung, Qin Yufen, Ernesto Neto, Antony Gormely, and Judy Chicago

Student Samples