Gracen Steinepreis

Final Piece

Identity of the dazed and confused.

Beneath the hoods darkness lies an empty being, concealed by the prints and patterns formed by the society and world around us.
A Chinese proverb states “ outside noisy, inside empty”. Our noisy exterior paints the empty shell within us. We are simply the result of societal manipulation that conceives a false identity for those around us to see.     
Perhaps the person beneath the garment holds an identity within itself; an identity uncorrupted by the nature of society and the external influences of conformity.
The sheer chiffon allows the opportunity to peer through the inorganic shell, into the true identity of the person beneath the veil.
The imperfect printing, and spaces left black, are a small window into the empty soul beneath the garment.
The nature of black and white suffocates the colourful organism beneath it. We are forced to conform to the mundane shades and tones that paint society, we live in fear, never showing our true colour.
In this piece I was influenced by the simplistic colour pallet of Echer, and the tessellating patterns of his work, which I have honored in the silk print of this garment.
I also took influence from artist Anzeri, who’s appliqué of stitching gave texture to a two- dimensional image.  The applique of loose wool to the lining of the hood and neckline, form an organic texture, which contrasts to the geometric nature of the Echer pattern.
This contrast forms a conflict, or rather a confusion between two identities. the identity of the garment and the identity of the empty being beneath it.
Through the textile work of screen printing, design, sewing and the embroidery of wool the garments depicts a state of dazed and confused .
It is not what is on the inside that counts, but the outside. Who we are as individuals have been manipulated by society, that force an identity of what others have created for us.