#4.322

[kiranwatt]

Throwback to prototyping our final sculpture last fall! 4.322 was so much fun

[kiranwatt]

Sari not Sari

CONTEXT

This was a midterm project for 4.322 (Intro to 3D Art) - the goal was to create a transcultural suit, something wearable that embodies two cultures and identifies an issue we would like to explore. 

Mine explores the role of a woman in Indian and Western cultures. While the material and general style of the draping mimics the sari, a traditional garment worn by women daily in India, the pencil skirt and fitted form mimics the Western woman, a working woman. Saris are usually somewhat restrictive, as they are floor length skirts, wrapped around the body several times. They’re delicate, and pleated, and folded from a single sheet of fabric, and for me at least - they are limiting in mobility. They’re often heavy, and require grace to walk in. While the Western world seems to push the idea of working women, and more importantly, women in power, pencil skirts and heels are also extremely restrictive to movement. Both of these garments are hallmarks of women in different cultural contexts, and are celebrated as a woman’s uniform but both pose not only metaphorical but also physical constraints on mobility. I wanted to preserve the heavy draping of the sari and compound it on the fitted and uncomfortable pencil skirt.

CONSTRUCTION

I made this entire piece out of 1 sari that I ordered on eBay. The pencil skirt, blouse and draping were all fashioned out of this fabric from scratch on a Singer sewing machine over the course of 2 weeks of class. The blouse features clasps and hooks, with detachable draping on the back. The pencil skirt has a zipper on the back as well. This was my first ever sewing project, and I’m really thrilled with how it turned out!

[kiranwatt]

reassembly

a continuation of the last project, “dissembly” for 4.322 (Intro to 3D Art)

This features the same oxford shoe from the last project, but now put back together in another form. I choose to turn the shoe into a french inspired collar - this evokes the same sense of rebellion Oxford shoe’s originally represented from the French heels popularized by King Louis XIV, but this time, in reverse. The hot pink lining from the shoe’s interior also challenges the masculinity of the shoes and their birth.