Drop Cloth Suit

I had the great pleasure of collaborating with fellow artist and friend Hugh O'Rourke on a super fun project. Hugh is a painter and sculptor here in NYC, you can view more of his work here. We met during my thesis art exhibit at NYU, as he works at the 80WSE gallery where I exhibited my installation.  He knew my passion for sewing clothing and asked me to collaborate with him in making a suit out of his drop cloths from his studio. The idea of the suit came from famous artist Joseph Beuys' own sculpture Felt Suit.

The most challenging and most creative part of making the suit was laying out the pattern pieces. I had to find interesting areas on the drop cloth to create an interesting pattern effect on the suit. I kept Hugh's own work in mind while selecting which paint glob to use for the lapel or where to use the glued on pieces of newspaper.

I liked imagining what pieces of Hugh's art made the drops, splatters, and smears of paint, glue, and mixed media on the drop cloths.

Spaces Between Studio Show courtesy of Hugh O'Rourke

In the end I think the suit turned out really great! I made the suit to Hugh's measurements but the piece is meant to be hung on the wall as pictured below. Hugh was very excited when I brought the finished suit to him, I cannot wait to see it in one of his gallery shows, or maybe a fun photo shot of him wearing it! This project helped remind me of my interest in the meaning of clothing and the emotional response humans can have to sentimental clothing. This suit is a portrait of a painter, a garment made of the leftovers in the art making process. Anyone need a garment made for them from their own scraps?

posted by Sarah