buttoned up

in 1991, I was graduating from the fashion department of the royal academy of fine arts in antwerp, belgium. my graduating collection was inspired by the work and aesthetic of man ray and his fellow dadaists. i was particularly intrigued by the concept of elevating the “objet trouve” to work of art, often with minimal intervention. being a student of limited means, my medium was buttons. i made quite a few button-covered pieces, but this one is my favorite: monochrome, simple and most of all: i have the best memories making this. i spent quite a few late summer nights, usually in front of the tv by myself catching up on obscure old movies, sewing on buttons and dreaming of my future fashion career. now that I am a mom of 2 and have been introduced to the pedagogical concept of process art (i.e. the process is much more important than the ultimate result) i understand why this piece means so much to me, even though I have never worn it (it weighs a ton....).