FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Darkness
(click images to to enlarge)
Outline the story …
Darkness is the 9th Plague of Egypt.
The Plagues of Egypt is a project I've been working on for a few years now in which I try to personify each plague and identify them as the several stages of depression. Using the scientific theories that may explain the plagues, I tried to illustrate how an event causes another event, creating a chain of events that can be a metaphor for how depression affects us.
The scientific theory for Darkness is a solar eclipse which could be how our reality gets eclipsed by the reality we live in due to depression.
Darkness is, as by its name, the darkest stage of this condition and after darkness, comes death, either the person's death or the condition's death; for those who are able to overcome this. Both my father and my brother went differently through this condition and, unfortunately, none was able to see beyond what was eclipsing them.
I believe depression is still a world we know very little about as it is so particular and individual to each person and sometimes a world we create to escape from reality that then becomes a world we cannot escape from
Due to the sensibility of this subject, I, by any means, try to judge this condition nor disrespect anyone who went and is going through it. It is my personal interpretation of how it felt to me and how I felt it going on through my relatives
Outline the construction…
Dress - The dress is made of a night blue satin. Being a backless dress with sleeves and such an opened neckline, the biggest challenge was for the sleeves not to slide and fall when I move. Making something to fit on yourself is great because you have all the time you want for fittings, but it is a nightmare in cases like this and with such slippery fabric, my biggest struggle was the armholes and side seams. I wanted it to be the delicate and vulnerable side of depression. Two pleats at the back of the same material as the cape; they symbolize my father and my brother
Cape - The cape is made of a night blue velveteen, with opened sleeves that go down to the floor, lined with the same satin as the dress. It is meant to be an imponent structured garment with strong shoulders and high structured collar that will make the figure look taller and stronger. The back of the cape covers just about and exactly matching the shape of the back of the dress; it symbolizes the weight we carry on our shoulders that represent our strength. The lining of the collar is decorated with black lace and small pearls. The shoulders are decorated with pieces of metal from different pieces of jewelry I used to wear
It has interfacing both on front and back panels for structure and double shoulder pads. The collar is stiffened with a harder interfacing.
This piece and the story behind hit me like a tonne of bricks. I’m so sorry you had to experience the demise of people you held dear like that. Stunning piece and gorgeous detailing. Thank you so much for sharing this artwork, I’m so in love with the cape it’s stunning.
A heavy story I deadly resonate with. The heavy felling of darkness translate well into the long sleeves and train on the costume in a dark beautiful way.
Wow, just wow to everything. Got a little teary eyed reading your story and I hope you are in a better place. The dress is amazing, great job.