Sheila

Klein

Aptly named the re-translator of everyday objects, Sheila Klein
reconfigures Eastern architectural motifs into crocheted structures and vintage rain
bonnets into monumental shelters. Kleins career, which has spanned over forty
years, demonstrates her ability to alter public spaces into unique, interactive
environments.
Kleins oeuvre pays homage to her extensive travels and past memories. A
long-standing interest in architectural forms stems from a childhood spent amongst
the skillfully cast masterpieces housed by the Carnegie Museum of Art. Her interest
in architecture continued into adulthood with her travels in Rajasthan, India. In
Textile Wallah, Klein uses traditional crochet techniques to fabricate an archway
that honors the sophisticated pattern of the Jali screen common to Indian art.
Emulating the precisely carved botanical and geometric motifs of perforated
sandstone and marble, Klein transforms the solid and inflexible Jali latticework into
supple, delicate crochet. Building it up line by line, she turns physical structures into
complex patterns of tea-dyed twine whose inviting tactility draws the viewer closer.
Conceptually, her use of lacework brings forth a rich history in which gender
interactions, social hierarchies, and labor-intensive practices intertwine. Ethereal in
their materiality yet heavy with detail, these intricate renderings embody the
graceful curvature of smoothed stone. Attached to the wall and hanging from the
ceiling, the pieces activate the space in which they reside, questioning the outside-
inside relationship of physical and social boundaries.
Reminiscent of Claes Oldenburgs ordinary objects enlarged to colossal
proportion, Kleins bonnets transform a prosaic object originally gifted by a friend
into a polyvalent space available to be used as anything from a photo booth to a
refuge for quiet contemplation. A white, mesh membrane is secured over an
aluminum armature that maintains the rain bonnet form. The smooth fabric is
tailored to the sides, emphasizing its structural form and wrapping like a head scarf
around the frame. Viewers experience the bonnet from its exterior, observing the
lightness of the materials within the darkness of its surroundings. Space is
additionally examined from within the piece, where the overlapped mesh lends a
different perspective.
Klein has spent her career exploring topics as diverse as economics and
ethnography, resulting in a diverse body of work. United by a compelling interactive
nature and connection to the everyday, she straddles the world of art and
architecture as she explores notions of interdependence.


By: Lindsey Ellis, Olivia Harris & Marissa Lemon









Laura Thapthimkuna

In the allure of its materiality, Laura Thapthimkunas Vortex Dress
incorporates the otherworldliness of astral dark matter and explores her interest in
black holes and the time-space continuum. Her work oscillates between hard
science and science fiction, engaging with the known and unknown in equal
measure. Extraterrestrial and exoskeletal, the foreign form wraps around empty
space, creating a cage for the body. A biomorphic domain is magnified in the jet-
black curvilinear funnels spiraling inward and converging at the core of the dress.
Fluted openings at the base appear capable of absorbing anything that gets too
close, epitomizing the disruptive, suctioning nature of black holes.
In Turbine Blade Corset, Thapthimkuna continues to explore ideas of space.
The aeronautically inspired construction is representative of turbine engines and
brings to mind the works of Frank Gehry. A computer numerical control router
(CNC) is used to precisely cut through brass sheet metal to create the sleek blades. A
framework of bowed triangular sheets invert the design of a restrictive hourglass
form seen on a traditional corset. The resultant protruding ribcage unnaturally
imposes a distinct elliptical form over the models torso, projecting outward in three
wedges.
Entering into the world of fine art, Thapthimkuna uses 3D printing to bring
her fantastical creations to life. Inherently collaborative, she utilizes crowdfunding
and consults with experts in varying fields to develop her pieces. Influenced by an
internship with textile and performance artist Nick Cave and designers like Iris Van
Herpen, her work has developed an increasingly conceptual focus, leaving behind
traditional practices of fashion design.
She further departs from the serial nature of runway fashion and delves into
fine art by creating wearable art that is formed around independent narratives: the
life of each design is continually developed into a comprehensive whole through
runway, photography, film and gallery settings. A short film, which features Vortex
Dress, exemplifies her multi-disciplinarian approach to wearable art, augmenting
the astronomical theme. Lighting, makeup, and musical elements further contribute
to the life of the piece. Red and green light beam onto the model, accompanied by a
transmission of synthetic pulsations. Together, these mediums build a multifaceted
experience that gives new energy to the work rather than leaving it in static
isolation.

By: Lindsey Ellis, Olivia Harris & Marissa Lemon