This particular iteration of Artwear Festival saw four artists and makers rework existing clothing, surplus materials and up-cycled utility fabrics.
‘Domestic Bliss’ by Sarah Murphy, looks at repurposing household materials like an Ikea futon cover, and Target bed sheeting into functional garments that borrow their patterns from work and army wear. The small but apt collection is a reflection on fabrics and reuse in the home environment which occurring during one of Melbourne’s many lockdown periods.
“Imperial Leather”, “Captain Thunderbolt”, and “Old Clothes/Old Life” by Matt Feder demonstrate a continuing exploration of the value of the handmade, utilising the memories and energy associated with used materials and how that permeates through stitched work. Matt explores themes of high and low culture, masculinity and self-doubt, through a visual language constructed of hand stitching, quilting, appliqué and fabric, compiling all of the themes into quilted and printed works.
Excerpt from missingpersons.me
"Melbourne artists reimagine their art to wear in ARTWEAR FESTIVAL, featuring one-off and collectible garments that are upcycled, patched, painted, printed, stained, hand-coloured, stitched, dyed and bleached using printmaking techniques and cellulose experiments that summon a punk aesthetic and sensibility.
Local, independent and a collective effort, ARTWEAR FESTIVAL blends art and fashion in this free, week-long celebration of the DIY spirit.'“
