Event 3: Fowler Museum's Making Strange

It was very exciting to learn that Vivian Sundaram put together this entire exhibit -- which kind of seemed like a little fashion collection when you first walk in. Making Strange has a very obvious theme -- to remake garments with recyclable materials. However, there is a deeper message being communicated. 

Making Strange explores the idea that clothing and the human body are inseparable. Sundaram captures the tension between beauty and illness, pleasure and pain, life and death. This effect is generated through modernist avant-garde aesthetic strategies, high fashion, recycled materials, and pop cultural references. As you can see, the garment she designed is stuck onto a mannequin. It is made out of old hose material. This type of "haute" couture is "strange" yet highly inventive and may strike you to think... what do I decorate my body with?

Sundaram not only explores one type of culture, but chooses to expand throughout the entire world. If there is one thing every race can connect to is our clothing. The mannequin below -- her attire is made from old hospital masks. Could her life have been dedicated towards nursing? Is Vivian indicating that this "uniform" has simply just become a part of her?

One of my favorite pieces in this exhibit, is the one pictured below. It shows the concept of life and death. The mannequin is watching herself on her death bed. Also, the bed seems to be formed by two convex shapes, which reminded me of the Jesus fish. Is this a representation of someone "saving" themselves?