John Petrey is an artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee who makes sculptural dresses from a variety of cast off materials, including old barn board, asphalt shingles, and even used bottle caps (below). Here is what Petrey says about his amazingly creative "Dress Series" collection.
Bottle cap bodice, belt, and skirt
I see that you've been an artist since the 1980s. What kind of art did you start out making?
I began my career as a photographer, shooting commercial work, which also included set designs. All the while, I also created fine art furniture to feed my imaginative mind.
When and why did you start making these dresses?
I began "The Dress Series" in late-2006. I grew up in the 1960's watching a lot of afternoon television, like "Father Knows Best," "Ozzie and Harriet," "Leave It to Beaver," and, of course Lucille Ball. In those shows, the women appeared perfect, always dressed to the nines, very pressed, and of course wearing pearls as they prepared breakfast. "The Dress Series" personifies the woman of that era yet interrupts the static through the choice of the materials.
Why do you use recycled, building and other unlikely materials for the dresses?
I love the unexpectedness of these materials and being able to manipulate them into something they weren't originally meant for. The combination of textures, colors, and substance allows me to create a nostalgic look that carries emotion for the viewer, almost in even more of a personal way than if it had been cloth. If I had to use fabric, my sculptures wouldn't exist. It's the unexpected materials that I love working with.
Green Patina Copper Bodice, Rolled Collar, Nepalese Paper Skirt
Where do you find your materials?
Actually in a variety of places. I travel the country for shows and I'm always on the lookout for new materials. I've found them in the strangest of places, but many of the pieces come from buildings that have been torn down. I'm fortunate to have a good friend who is in the urban salvage business, "Estate of Confusion" here in Chattanooga. Greg Ross, the proprietor, he's the guy who gets called before a building is getting torn down. He's always on the lookout for possible materials I could use, like vintage ceiling tin, unique bead board, or anything that comes in bulk.
What kinds of reactions do people have when they see the dresses for the first time?
Very often a soft look comes over their face as they pause, then a big smile emerges, then the stories begin. People speak of a bygone era, or a childhood outfit, or a memory of their youth. Conversation begins instantly around the pieces. I like that.
Some are just amazed and begin calling off the materials as though they had won the contest of, "what's this made of?" Look, that's roofing tile! Playing cards! Bottle tops! Always with a sense of wonder and excitement. It's very nice to have people respond so positively to the sculptures.
Can the dresses be worn?
You could wear them but it would be very, very painful. Actually they are not made to be worn, just enjoyed as art.
Aren't these dresses incredible as works of art? Catch "The Dress Series" at the Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica, California through January 4th, 2010. Or go to John Petrey to see more.
Copper bodice and roofing tile skirt
these dresses are wonderful! I love wearable art.
Posted by: amber kane | December 23, 2009 at 11:16 AM