the dress project goes to the mall

Well …. Yesterday I installed four dresses at the Natick Collection ~ the new Natick mall ~ and it has been quite the experience. I was given this opportunity a week ago and it ignited my creativity & motivation…which a deadline always does. I am coming off an intense week of trying to finish new pieces, having a reality check :-) , and then focusing on the ones that were to go. An interesting part of this crazy week for me was revisiting the Red Alert Cocktail dress. For the third time I basically rebuilt it. It is frustrating yet gratifying as I see how much I have learned since I first made that dress. Also I was aware of the depth of that piece … how it can be read on so many levels and how it appeals to so many different people. In fact as I was madly prepping for the installation a couple stopped by my studio ~ they were wondering what happened to the ‘coke’ dress. I always like when visitors step into my studio ~ they always bring a different perspective or new idea or some intangible gift. This visit was interesting because it soon became clear that we had different opinions on many subjects. But instead of going head to head over issues we had found a common ground. We were brought to together by the dresses and ended up having an earnest discussion about art. As I have been on this dress journey one thing that I have learned is that I want my work to make people think, to push theirs thoughts out of their comfort zone, possibly alter their perceptive a bit, start a conversation. I am truly grateful to have this opportunity to put some of my dresses in the mall, where my eggshell dress may just make someone stop and think differently about an eggshell. So thank you universe & peace.

p.s. the dresses will be displayed at the Natick Collection for the month of February. They are located in the atrium where the old and the new mall meet. AND there is to be a ‘meet & greet’ the artist, me, Friday, February 15th 6-8pm … more on that to come.