{"id":17085,"date":"2017-03-29T13:43:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T13:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artzealous.com\/?p=17085"},"modified":"2017-03-29T13:51:12","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T13:51:12","slug":"how-to-dress-like-a-masterpiece-ariel-adkins-of-artfully-awear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/how-to-dress-like-a-masterpiece-ariel-adkins-of-artfully-awear\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Dress like a Masterpiece: Ariel Adkins of Artfully Awear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever loved a piece of art so much you wished there was a way to wear it? Ariel Adkins\u00a0knows the feeling\u2014in fact, it lead her to start\u00a0a personal style blog called\u00a0Artfully Awear<\/a>. Since 2014, the artist and designer has been creating outfits inspired by her favorite objets d’art and encouraging others to do the same through a series of workshops. Whether it’s\u00a0the\u00a0Guggenheim here in New York or Frida Kahlo’s home in Mexico, you can catch Ariel wearing her bespoke garments at exhibition venues all over the world. We recently had the privilege of chatting with Ariel about her childhood love for art, her go-to\u00a0thrifting spots\u00a0in NYC and her dreams and plans for Artfully Awear (hint: there may be a clothing line in the works).<\/p>\n

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AZ:\u00a0Tell us a little bit about art\u2019s role in your life. Have you had a passion for art since childhood or did it emerge later on?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>Art has always been a part of my life, for as long as I can remember. My parents were both artists, and they really valued creativity and encouraged me to think outside the box. My mother had the amazing skill of making something out of nothing, so to speak \u2013 whether that meant a giant sculpture fabricated out of detritus from the trash dump, a pair of moccasins for me (and matching pair for my doll) out of a piece of suede, or a fabulous outfit fished out of the Salvation Army. My father is a craftsman and woodworker, who applies an artistic touch to even the most everyday objects (like frames for my senior exhibition).<\/p>\n

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Photo\/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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AZ:\u00a0How did you come up with the idea to make outfits inspired by such monumental artworks? Do you remember the first one you ever made?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always shopped at thrift stores, scouting for the most unique garments. One day I discovered a vintage skirt with a kitschy country pattern that reminded me of Monet\u2019s paintings of haystacks. That skirt started me on my journey to wear art. Over time I became frustrated with the quality and creativity of the clothes I could find within my price range that related formally to the artwork. The first piece I made was a dress I painted using stencils to wear to the Christopher Wool retrospective at the Guggenheim in 2014.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Walk us through the process of creating a garment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> I start with an artwork that appeals to me \u2013 whether I find it beautiful or intriguing or representing a technique or style that I haven\u2019t tried to emulate before. I do some research on the artist and his or her process, creating a concept for the piece. On occasion, I am able to see the work in person ahead of time; otherwise I work from digital images. Typically, I use found garments, sketching out the composition ahead of time. Then I get to work, using paint, stencils, fringe, or whatever type of accoutrement the work requires. When it\u2019s finished, I organize a visit to the museum, gallery, or studio where the work is displayed, and my boyfriend or another friend (or stranger) takes the photos.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0What are some of the challenges you face when turning something you’ve seen in a gallery or museum into something wearable?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>When it\u2019s not possible to see the work in person ahead of time, it can be difficult to get the sense of the piece. There have been difficulties with color matching, but I\u2019m learning to embrace the \u201cmistakes\u201d as a part of the process. On a few occasions, the piece I\u2019ve chosen as inspiration is gone when I\u2019ve shown up to take photos. That\u2019s really frustrating.<\/p>\n

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Photo\/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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AZ:\u00a0Is there a specific type of art that translates particularly well from canvas to clothing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>I tend to focus on painting because I studied it in college, and enjoy the medium. I also love to experiment with new techniques \u2013 for example, how to translate a sculptural work into something wearable. It\u2019s not always easy, but that\u2019s part of the fun.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Would you say more of your inspiration comes from art history or from contemporary art?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> I definitely veer more toward Modern & Contemporary Art. In some ways, I think it\u2019s easier to capture the sense of the work in more modern pieces, whereas traditional portraiture or landscape painting, for instance, would create challenges related to verisimilitude. However, it\u2019s not out of the question and I\u2019d like to explore the possibilities there.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0What\u2019s your favorite garment you\u2019ve created so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>My favorite is a fringe dress inspired by Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9\u2019s Colorscape<\/em> installation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art<\/a> last fall. I love the color palette and the fact that it is multidimensional. After I visited the artwork, Francis saw my photo on Instagram and invited me to come and meet him when he came to Philadelphia from Africa. He loved the dress and even asked me to make him a jacket just like it!<\/p>\n

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Photo\/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Have you ever considered designing a line of your clothing that others could buy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> Yes. I like the way that clothing can make art more accessible, and would love for others to be able to wear my Artfully Awear pieces. I want the collection to be affordable but unique, and I\u2019m working on ways to make that a reality.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Describe your ideal studio environment. What habits have you cultivated to get your creative juices flowing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> I\u2019m not very particular with my studio habits. As long as I have enough space and good light, I can make it work.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you make other art besides the clothes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>I just started a new series of paintings. They are very fresh, so I haven\u2019t shared any of them yet. Each work is inspired by interesting pieces of clothing I\u2019ve collected from thrift stores, vintage shops, and flea markets. In a way, I\u2019m reversing the Artfully Awear process \u2013 making artwork inspired by clothes!<\/p>\n

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Photo\/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0If you could have a dinner party with five artists, living or dead, who would you invite?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> Henri Matisse, Yinka Shonibare MBE, Nick Cave, Yayoi Kusama, and Cindy Sherman.<\/p>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0Go-to spot for vintage\/thrift shopping in NYC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:<\/strong> I love Beacon\u2019s Closet in Park Slope and Goodwill on 23rd Street.<\/p>\n

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AZ:\u00a0You do a lot of traveling as well\u2014is there any exhibition space you\u2019ve always wanted to visit but haven\u2019t had the chance to yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>I am dying to go to the Benesse Art Site on the island of Naoshima<\/a> in Japan.<\/p>\n

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Photo\/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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AZ:<\/strong>\u00a0What can we expect to see from Artfully Awear in the future? Anything exciting coming up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AA:\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019m traveling to Amsterdam in a few weeks to do a shoot at the Van Gogh Museum<\/a>, which has been in the works for a while. I\u2019m still working on my piece, inspired by Van Gogh\u2019s famous painting, Sunflowers, 1889<\/em>. Other than that, I have a number of workshops coming up, so stay tuned if you\u2019re interested in learning how to make your own Artfully Awear piece.<\/p>\n

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Keep up with Ariel on Instagram @artfullyawear<\/strong><\/a> and on her blog, artfullyawear.com<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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top image \/\/ Ariel Adkins<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever loved a piece of art so much<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":17096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17085"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}