Project Manifesto for Relished Fairy Tales: Draft #1

You ever feel like you're repeating yourself?  I've started blog post after blog post, but not published any of them.  Inevitably, I am drawn to the conclusion that my writing is as disjointed as I feel about Relished Artistry right now.

I'm pursuing a goal:  development of an Art Manifesto for myself.  The danger is that I don't want it to be permanent.  So I think I'm going to call it a Project Manifesto instead.  I don't believe in unchangeable ideas.  I've spent too much time teaching Theatre History and I realize that philosophies and ideas change all the time.  Great approaches to creative work that seem to be the last word in the matter invariably crumble away.  I feel like writing an Art Manifesto is like summarizing your philosophies toward life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness---way way way too demanding of profound and universe-altering perspectives and conclusions that dictate one's creative direction forever.  No.  Not for me.  I'm not a Karl Marx kind of writer...  

Instead, I am going to take one project at a time.  And right now, my Project Manifesto is about my Relished Fairy Tales series.  I decided to break it down into Goals and Objectives.  Goals are overall philosophies.  Objectives are what I do to reach the goals...  If the objective is successfully completed, it will have accomplished the goal, right?  And I'm letting myself off the hook by specifically approaching this as a DRAFT.  No pressure.  I fully expect it to change, but I have to take a first step, right?

So.  Herewith are my Goals for my current project:

1) I will call attention to the cultural boundaries and distinctions between what is perceived as fashion, art, and craft by blurring the lines between the three disciplines using costume.
2) I will address the contradiction of unique and non-replicated artistic creations as component parts of a larger developing fashion movement, specifically identifying the incapacity and undesirability of mass production to contribute to it's success as style.

How will I do this?  That's where my Objectives come in:

1) I will use iconic fairy tale characters as tools to express these thoughts through costume.
2) I will create attire that points to the artistic and rises above the utilitarian.
3) I will use traditional, accepted methodologies of clothing construction and crafting methods more commonly found in non-apparel subjects to create attire that can be defined as an individual artistic expression.
4) I will create a creative, artistic expression in the form of a garment that can be used both as a singular, sellable element of a larger outfit and as a component piece of a larger installation unit working in conjunction with other pieces.  
5) I will display the work at craft fairs, selling pieces individually, and therefore inspiring a style movement.
6) I will display the work in a gallery setting, therefore inspiring contemplation from an aesthetic perspective.

Oy, my brain is gonna pop.  It's taken me a long long time to reach these ideas, and they may all change tomorrow, but at this point I'm feeling this is pretty specific but flexible at the same time.

We'll see where it goes.  I have a lot more to talk about, but I'll save it for a bit.

Until next time, Live Life with Relish!




Image by Rosa Menkman, Creative Commons License.