Closer
Art history.
Dynamism.
Intimacy.
Upcycling.
closer still by Jack Zhong and Hunter Wolff captures Valerie Stepanova in motion and stillness.
When viewing Baroque sculptures nearly a year ago, I was taken by the warped, contorted, and twisted bodies that are seen within the genre. This dynamism, to me, represents a form of intimacy that is void in today’s social architecture.
In Closer I ask, ‘what is the dynamism of today?’ I examine what intimacy feels like in the contemporary, while looking at how dynamism has evolved through 19th century Romantic painting and 20th century Italian Futurism. I propose this project as a hopeful, futurist promotion of more intimate social interactions.
The clothes resemble the sculptures, twisting and wrapping around the figure. The gathered fabric details create visual motion on the body and sometimes encourage the wearer to move in the direction of the constructed form.
Throughout my body of work, I have worked with materials that are immediately around me. On several garments I have applied a matte white paint coating, which provides structure and allows the pieces to assume their sculpture-like weight, feel, and look. Through this method, I continue a conversation of translating material onto clothing.
All clothing in this project is upcycled.
Model: Valerie Stepanova
Photography: Michelle Wei
Make-up: Suki Han
Hair: Sandra Wu
Additional Photography: Muhammet Gencoglu
Film: Jack Zhong
A 28 page perfect bound physical supplement that includes a debossed cover to continue the uniform, white aesthetic originally expressed through the clothing.
