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Dr. Wynetka Ann Reynolds, a U.S. scientist, university administrator and art enthusiast, once famously said: “Anyone who says you can’t see a thought simply doesn’t know art.” The Alberta College of Art and Design students who are presenting the Avant-Garb fashion show hope the public know art when they see it, as they showcase their original conceptual pieces November 6 at Art Central and again at the Art Gallery of Calgary on November 13.
The event is co-ordinated by ACAD Wearable Art: Body and Object instructor Dee Fontans, a local performance artist, jeweller and fashion designer who is serious about educating artists on self-promotion and community. The fashion show, now in its fifth year, is created, promoted and performed by her students. The show is a catalyst for encouraging a united work ethic by making students responsible for various aspects of organizing and promoting the event, which features wild conceptual art creations worn by runway models.
Fourth-year painting major Chelsea Mossing is grateful for Fontans’s encouragement. Even though production of the garments is important, it is the emphasis on self-promotion that she finds most useful. “It teaches you to have confidence and to believe in what you’re promoting. The Wearable Art aspect is the underlying motivation, to be professional and put yourself out there. We all take part. Everybody works very hard, and it’s about teamwork,” she says.
Mossing’s unconventional contribution to the show, Barbie Doll Dress, which, as the name suggests, is composed largely of naked dolls, is fascinating and funny. Mossing enjoys creating art that explores gender role stereotyping. “I was really intrigued by the ideas of repetition of form and of being clothed in nudity. I love putting humour into my work. Barbie is feminist in the sense that there’s a doctor Barbie, and she rides horses, and she has all these different careers. At the same time, she has this idealized body. There is a conceptual side to it, but at the end of the day, it’s also just a really hilarious dress.”
Mossing feels the preposterousness of conceptual art can raise important questions. “You can approach serious issues with humour. I think the Barbie Dress does that. I mean, what little girl has not looked up Barbie’s dress? Barbie is often an early introduction to very adult themes, like body awareness, bodily functions and sexuality. If Barbie represents any of those things, what are we putting across to kids?”
Artist and event promoter Katherine Kimber’s piece Belly includes a blend of performance and music. The work offers a completely different approach to exploring the female form. Three models will wear metal belly plates while acting out the pregnancy cycle. “In a way, the copper belly is commenting on the fad in popular culture, which treats pregnancy like it’s an accessory. I was wanting to restore the dignity of pregnancy. The bellies illustrate the marvel of creating a life and the beauty of a woman in the process,” says Kimber.
Though Avant Garb will be a runway presentation, it’s not a traditional fashion show; it’s conceptual art. Some of the students’ works draw from humour, while others take a more serious route, but all are devoted to inspiring discussion through visual art. “Part of art is translating what we see and putting it into different representations, and here we have objects fused with the body. It adds character to the person wearing it, and we’re using the body as a vehicle for our ideas. We hope to catch the attention of people moving through Art Central. It’s kind of different and some people might think of the show as shocking or strange, but [it] is just interesting,” says Kimber.
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