Pain in Beauty: A Clothing Connection

Faculty Sponsor

Sarah Jantzi; Liz Wuerfel

College

Arts and Sciences

Discipline(s)

Art Department

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 5-3-2019

Abstract

Everyone has at least one piece of clothing in their closets that serves as a secret weapon - an article that makes them feel like they can tackle the world. What sets this piece apart from average every day clothing? Does it hurt?

As an artist discovering textiles for the first time, I was curious about the stigmas our society has when it comes to garments that "look good". Typically, these are items that make push up our breasts, and make us look taller and skinnier. In order to achieve this, we must endure some level of discomfort.

However, these garments are sourced from a history of community and support, and because of this, we still have them today. I was inspired by the link history created between pain and beauty.

Within the Brauer Museum of Art will be a large display featuring more than 30 garments sourced from the community that creatively display this discomfort through the use of mixed media items such as razor blades, chains, and nails. In addition to the objects, several of the pieces include hand-embroidered phrases and poetry from artists who were integral parts of their communities, and which emphasizes the message of perseverance and group support.

The museum display includes 3 empty human silhouettes, and visitors are invited to place themselves in these spaces and contemplate our clothing, our sources, and our communities.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Megan Seibert has been perusing creative mediums her entire life, and aspires to try as many new artistic methods as possible. At the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, she began to experiment with textile mediums, and by extension, learning to sew. This lead to the creation of a dress, which in turn lead to the startling realization that garments that are seen as better than average or formal tend to be extremely uncomfortable. This inspired Seibert to create this series.

In the future, she plans to continue creating garments from scratch, and also hopes to discover other new and exciting mediums as well.

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