Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Dressing Room

Where: FPAC gallery
300 Summer Street
M1 Boston MA 02210
E: info@fortpointarts.org
T: 617 423-4299
online: website
The FPAC office hours Th 1-6 PM.

When: APRIL 04, 2008 - MAY 11, 2008

Clothing, fashion, and costume becomes an extension of the subject: the artists examine the influence these objects have on the portrayal of an individual. The work in this show seeks to reveal and comment upon human character that is shaped by personal history, race, class, gender, and society. By modifying the wardrobe of the subject, the role of clothing and costume in accentuating, exaggerating, exposing, and creating identity is questioned and explored.

Both Lisa Costanzo and Kelly Anona Kerrigan begin with portraiture as a foundation for their work. Through drawing and painting, they are expanding on traditional portraiture, and approaching the portrait in contemporary ways. Their influences include identity, gender roles, the role of costume and adornment, and the history of portraiture itself. The dressing room becomes the natural environment for these artists to push and question what might be hidden behind the fold of a dress or the cut of a shirt.

The dressing room is ultimately a private space. A space where one can create or strip oneself of a certain persona, even while preparing for the public. A space that can linger between fantasy and reality, between what is considered “real” and what is constructed, what is acceptable and what is not. How much authority does the dressing room have in altering the perceived notion of the individual’s image? How can these props be used to hide or reveal the individual’s perception of him or herself?

(pictured above right: Kelly Anona Kerrigan)

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