Wearable art is a concept that bubbles below the surface of academic definitions of art, but has its own infinite vibrancy as a branch of everyday expression. Especially true in Portland, where long time craft traditions meet new art grads, meet the concentration of clothing and volume footwear manufacturers.
Many artists push art with a clothing element far beyond the craft realm with idea based clothing art, art clothing incorporated into performance and clothing art never intended to be worn. Some fabricate work from whole cloth, others sample vintage, tapping a sustainability and reuse idea. For instance see the work of Lucy Orta.
This is Worksound's take on what's happening in wearable art here. Artists include Katie Behel, making jewelry, cuffs, collars and neckties from cloth and rubber; Deanna Bredthauer, whose PNCA thesis was a tribute to her mother in the form of heroic dresses from vintage materials; Palma Corral, forming art from iconic and material language; Alex Dolan, and his reverse shoplifting program at Urban Outfitters (See RTMark for famous history in reverse shoplifting art); Abraham Ingle, who uses art as urban lens; Hoyun Son, noted for her performances; Aaron Terry, with work inspired by magical urban myth; Devon Maldonado; and Iris Stevenson,from Germany. It's an ambitious show of early and early-mid career artists pushing some boundaries.
At Worksound www.worksoundpdx.com 820 SE Alder 6PM-10
PaperGirl is a project hat started in Berlin. It replicated to Portland last year, and continues tonight. Artists contribute works on paper, which will be shown this evening. After, they are rolled and the Papergirl Posse webs out into Portland on bikes, distributing the work, free. Hosted by the Art Department www.artdeptpdx.com 1315 SE 9th 6PM-10 Free