#clothing as art

Off The Wall: American Art to Wear edited by Dilys E. Blum

This book from the Philadelphia Museum of Art brings together a great deal of American art which is actually not that easy to wear. I have noticed that when we talk about clothing as art, we often mean something that doesn’t fit anyone well–in the case of things sold as clothing–or that doesn’t allow the people wearing them to move easily—in the case of things exhibited as art. But in every case these creations do offer some large amount of surface for all kinds of embellishments. It seems that the work is not so much an effort to elevate the decorative arts, which is where the Dress Doctors placed clothing, as turning clothing into fine art by rendering it useless as a garment. The most successful results look like costumes for theater.

You see here on the cover “Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder” from 1977 by Susanna Lewis which uses machine knitting and applique. Then, a crocheted item from wool called “Celibacy” that covers its wearer with both hat and mittens from 1968 by Walter Nottingham. “Trout-Magnolia Kimono” was created by Marika Contompasis with machine knitting in 1977.  And last you see “Phoenix Coat” by Ben Compton from 1975. 

The book is full of images both color and black and white as well as essays tracing the history of art to wear and its various modes of expression and meaning.