Geared Up

This dress speaks on the issue of gender stereotypes.  The form is culturally labeled as feminine, while the material is culturally labeled as being masculine.  The hoop skirt and corset possess an elegant and delicate quality, while the steel is rigid and rough.  I wanted to create these relationships of opposites, masculine and feminine, delicate and rough, fragile and strong.  The very act of me constructing this dress creates a relationship of opposites, a female using metal fabrication techniques, which is defined as masculine in my society.  I found this concept to be personal and decided to wear the dress in an environment that I found suitable for a steel dress. I placed it in a junk yard, surrounded by steel tracks and chains, while my hair is elegantly done up in curls.  I am also welding in the dress, which creates a union of femininity and masculinity.

• Creative Divergent: Lindsay Wilson
• From: Truxton, NY

Submitted to Winter 2010 Showcase