The Time Has Come, The Time Is Now ...

The contest ends TODAY at 6PM.
So follow the link below and give my holiday windows  at
Renew Arts and Industry some cyber-lovin'!! 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJY2JPW

Here are some photos of said windows ....




information about the contest:

Hosted by Natick Center Cultural District
Natick Center Cultural District is happy to announce it's 6th annual Holiday Window Contest! This contest offers the businesses and favorite places downtown a chance to win the title of "Best Holiday Window 2017", be recognized in a special ceremony, win a NCCD 2018 membership, and have their business name engraved on the Holiday Window Contest trophy! 

It's not going to be easy to choose but vote for your favorite window beginning on Nov. 26th at 6:00 pm. (Voting will close on December 10th at 6:00 pm.) 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJY2JPW

Help your favorite business by voting soon and keeping Natick looking merry and bright for the holidays!

and some detail shots!! 

It is ALWAYS such a pleasure to create the window displays for this wonderful shop!! 

Patrice is a joy to work with and the merchandise is just plain dreamy!! 

Happy Holidays all!!

(and don't forget to VOTE :)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJY2JPW

 

'dailydresses' go to the mall ....

top left: 'beach muse ...' ; top right: 'from the ground up...'

lower left: 'wedding dress...' ; lower right: 'on thin ice ...' 

Last week I did the finishing touches to my window display at Uni-T at the Natick Mall. I dropped off a number of photographs from my #dailydressseries.  Each photo is in a 8x10 mat, and can be shown as is or popped into a frame for yourself or as a gift.

These are smaller version of the #dailydresses that are accompanying 'torqued and tethered ...' in Uni-T's shop window.

Uni-T also has a good selection of notecards from my dailydress series, the ever growing collection of ephemeral dresses made during my everyday journey.  Click here to purchase these notecards from Uni-T's online shop and to see more more of my #dailydresses, as they are created, check out my instagram feed, virginiacreates.

peace 

'torqued and tethered ...' flies again ...

Last week I completed my annual installation in the window of UniT at the Natick Mall.  This year Eujin, the owner of this inspiring shop, and I decided to feature my sculpture, 'torqued and tethered ...' in the wake of the political shifts and recent threats to women's rights, reproduction rights and human rights in general.

'breaking open . . .' Fountain Street Fine Art (2013)

'torqued and tethered ...' was first exhibited at 'breaking open ...' in 2013, at Fountain Street Fine Arts, Framingham, MA.  For that exhibit the entire dress was pinned down to the ground by rocks, the 'dress' was trapped, straining to get free.  It was during that exhibition that I was nearing the end of a long and intense divorce process and I was feeling very burned by the excepted and traditional roles for a woman, so it follows that the sculpture was trapped and in distress.

'torqued and tethered ...' during installation , Uni-T, present

Since that exhibit and the completion of my divorce, when I have installed 'torqued and tethered ...' not all the ribbons are held to the ground, trapped under the rocks.  At first I didn't think much of it, however on reflection this change reflects where I was personally in my life's journey. It could also be said that showing some of the ribbons free while some of the ribbons are still trapped can reflect the  truths of women's rights in general, there have been some advances but there is still a great struggle.

Below is a more elaborate description of the sculpture that I wrote when it was exhibited at the South Shore Arts Center, Cohasset, MA, in their exhibit, Forever & After, in 2015.

'torqued and tethered ...' SSAC, 2015

For the present, 'torqued and tethered ...'  can be seen in the window of Uni-T surrounded by photographs from my 'dailydress' series, ephemeral dresses made during the course of my day, created, photographed and then left to dissipate back into the landscape...



'torqued and tethered . . .' is the first of my dress sculpture where I played with the scale and shape of the dress. For this piece the bodice is stunted, emaciated, twisted and tortured. The sculpture hangs by only one of the shoulder straps, the other strap sags, defeated, exhausted. The way the bodice hangs the viewer can see in, under and through her; all is exposed. Being white, there is the suggestion of seeing bone.

'torqued and tethered . . .'
behind 'metamorphosis . . . '

The skirt of the dress is created by ribbons that hang from the bottom of the bodice. These ribbons strain against the rocks which have hold the ribbons to the floor; grounding her, repressing her, when all she really wants to do is to fly, to be free.
I usually do not like to share my thoughts about a pieces so that the viewer can have their own personal experience with the sculpture, so I will attempt to leave something for the imagination. However I feel very strongly about 'torqued and tethered . . .'

Lady Forrest 1876, Victorian style dress 

This sculpture speaks to the omnipresent and destructive messages directed at young girls/women,
from the media (TV, movie, advertisements, ...), society, many religions and possibly family. The dress is white to implying the many cultural traditions where a girl or woman wears a white dress that represents purity, goodness, respectability and virtue. Usually a white dress is worn for baptisms, first communions, confirmations, debutante cotillions, some graduations and, and of course,  a white dress is worn in a traditional wedding.

'torqued and tethered . . . ', for me, represents an innocent young spirit/girl who has been pinned down by rules, expectations, dogma and traditions and who has twisted and tortured herself trying to free herself and just be who is authentically is; she just wants to soar!!!

'torqued and tethered ...' SSAC, 2015

links:

Fountain Street: www.fsfaboston.com

Uni-T, Natick Collection: www.shopuni-t.com

South Shore Arts Center, Cohasset, MA:www.ssac.org/

peace

It's time for some Mid-Century cocktail fun ...

... this Friday, at Renew Arts and Industry, Natick. 

Come join the festivities as Renew debuts their back-room boutique, 'The Daily Dress" :), and help support Wonder Woman, Carol Chaoui and her continual fund raising efforts for the Dana-Farber Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Fund. 

Come see all the wonderful vintage garments that the Renew staff have collected, and that I had the pleasure of highlighting in Renew's newest window displays.

In the first set of windows I celebrated the clean lines of Mid-Century Modern style, by creating these painted panels of MCM fashion models and pairing them the beautifully designed furniture and housewares.

For the second set of windows, playing off the rocket ship that is in those windows, I went with the 'Lost in Space' look, painting Penny Robinson.  Also in these windows is a lovely stunning sculpture by the lovely and talented Karin Stanley, which works so well with the outer space feel.

product photo: virginiafitzgerald

product photo: virginiafitzgerald

So stop by tomorrow evening for an evening of fun, fashion, style, art, design and cocktails. 

Come imagine yourself walking into the world of Madmen. It will be an evening not to be missed!