About Style Imitating Art…
Style Imitating Art comes from Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee. You can think of it as fashion meets art museum! Style Imitating Art challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Every other Monday one of the three selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. They then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, they share their outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Terri chose this week’s art work. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. I have really been impressed with the different art work we’ve seen this year. It’s been challenging at times but always fun! You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here!
Inspiration art work…
About the artist…
Emil Bisstram was born in Nagylak, Hungary (now Nădlac, Romania) on April 7, 1895. He and his family immigrated to the United States when he was eleven. The family settled in New York City where he studied at the National Academy of Art and Design, the Cooper Union, Parsons, and The Art Student’s League. When he completed school, he turned to teaching at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts and then at the Master Institute of the Roerich Museum.
A little more…
In 1931, Bisstram was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study mural painting with Diego Rivera. The federal government commissioned several murals during the Great Depression. One of these can be seen at the Robert F. Kennedy Building in Washington, DC. Bisstram visited Taos, New Mexico for the first time in 1930. By 1932, he had moved there and founded the Heptagon Gallery, believed to be the first commercial art gallery in Taos as well as founding the Taos School of Art. In 1938, Bisstram joined several Santa Fe artists to found the Transcendental Painting Group. He was heavily involved in the community both as an artist and as a citizen, co-founding the Taos Art Association, judging art competitions, and overseeing the installation of an art exhibit at the County Courthouse building.
Even more…
Bisstram was involved in the dynamic symmetry movement which used proportioning system and natural design methodology. If you understand that, you are way ahead of me. Here are a few links related to this subject (here, here, here, and here). I do love the symmetry of math, but these topics are so over my head! Bisstram produced over 3000 works, and it fell to his wife to dispose of several when he died on February 26, 1976. You can read more about Emil Bisstram’s life, legacy, and beliefs here.
About the art work…
“Floral Forms” was produced in 1935 and is watercolor over traces of graphite on paper. It measures 24 x 19 inches (60.96 x 48.26 cm). The art work was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Hollander and is located in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. You can see echoes of dynamic symmetry in the green lines and perfect circles.
My interpretation…
My first inclination for this challenge was an old April Cornell dress, but I have been trying to use other clothing for these challenges. I have wanted to try this brand, Gudrun Sjödén, for years. There’s just something about the aesthetic that appeals to me. I think it’s all the colors and mixing of prints. The Peace dress features these round roses with a bit of blue grey leaves. There are those beautiful blues surrounding the flowers on the Bisstram work. Is this dynamic symmetry? I have no idea! I had thought seriously about making my own slip. But, after pricing lace and fabric, I realized I’d spend almost as much as just buying the slip! Now that I have one, I can see maybe trying my hand at sewing my own custom creations.
The Lewk!
I chose my natural colored Cobb Hill Aubrey shoes for this challenge. They seem to have shrunk a bit in my closet! I think I may need to buy some of those silicone toe guards and wear these for longer periods of time to stretch them out. They are comfortable in every other way and have great arch support. You can see my aqua pair here (I had more comments on these shoes than the dress). I tried a couple of pink longer necklaces, but they didn’t show up against the dress. A longer necklace just didn’t seem right, either. I was rummaging through my jewelry chest and found this old, old, old necklace. There wasn’t a label anywhere so I have no idea where I got it. The earrings are just as old and are from Target! The silver cuff was an eBay find and is also old. As I look at the photos, I’m wondering if this scarf might work.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I have wanted to try this company for so many years. I honestly don’t even know how it came to my attention. This may not be the most complimentary dress for my vertically challenged body. But, I have to tell you I feel so joyful, happy, and lighthearted in this outfit! I look in the mirror and just smile! So, can we talk? Could you make heads or tails out of any of those mathematical applications? Do you appreciate different types of art works? Are there clothing brands that make you feel some kind of way? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise I do respond as soon as possible. I know some of you receive notifications of my responses, but are there any of you who don’t? Please let me know!
Affiliate links and such:
Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. As of right now, I also have an affiliate code for Kantha Bae! Use MarshaintheMiddle in the promo code box for $5 off any order (excluding Bestie restocks)! I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. I am now an affiliate with Clara Sunwoo. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off your entire order. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post. I am now so very happy to tell you I am an April Cornell Brand Ambassador for another season. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off any order over $75.
Thank you!
I want to thank you for supporting my blog through your comments, emails, and subscribing. It means so very much to me. I appreciate so many of you telling others about my blog as well. If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend with Michelle every Thursday. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
You are the face of April Cornell for me and wear her lovely designs so well! The colors of this dress are right up my alley and I love the floral print. Great job!
xo,
Kellyann
Thank you so much, Kellyann! There is just something about the designs, the prints, and the fabrics that sings to me. I adore April Cornell…it’s a good thing the Indianapolis store closed many years ago! I do love this dress and this new to me company!
This is such a lovely outfit!
Thanks so much, Joanne!
Such a pretty floral dress, so perfect for spring! My favorite introduction to these mathematical concepts is the exceptionally entertaining Disney short film “Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land” from 1959 (27 minutes). You can watch it on YouTube.
Thanks, Sally! I just pulled the video up so I can watch it in a few minutes! I love math, but, sometimes, the more theoretical things stump me…though I did love memorizing theorems and doing proofs in geometry…not that I could do it now!
What a gorgeous dress and the slip under it adds so much texture to it and gives it that sass that I just love.
We were just having a discussion about slips at our last photo shoot. I hardly ever wear them anymore but Suzanne and my mom did.
Yet I love my dress extender to create length and interest like you did. I just have to remember to pull it out more.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thanks, Jodie! I bought the dress a few weeks before the slip and kept going back and forth about it. I even considered making my own, but it wouldn’t have been much less. I still have a few “silky” half slips from when I used to wear them. But, I just don’t care if someone sees through my dress. It’s pretty obvious I have two legs. So what if you see them! I never really tried a dress extender. My daughter used to wear them all the time.
I had no idea slips like that existed. I absolutely love it. Just like the artwork, that’s the kind of art I adore.
Slips are hard to find, right? I even looked on Amazon, but I really don’t trust it that much! I do like this kind of art, too!
Thanks, Nancy!
I adore this artwork and your look! Those flowers make me want to paint in my art journal right now. I adore your dress. The print and colors are so lovely!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Isn’t it amazing? I love art like this, but I have to admit I had no idea what this artist was about! Your art journals are so gorgeous, Kathrine! I love seeing them. And, I am so glad I took a chance and bought this dress. I love it!
Thanks, Kathrine!
Fashion meets art museum I love this idea! And you look great in this dress!
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thanks so much, Allie! You should join in on the fun!
OMG Marsha! Marsha! Marsha! This is such a joyful dress and you look extraordinarily joyful wearing it! I love this group of photos so much. All sorts of light and love are shining through with abundance. Your slip is also wonderful and now I have a million ideas swimming in my head of things I could upcycle into slips or skirt extenders. We should schedule a virtual coffee date so we can share our ideas!
Not only are your dress and photos joyful, but I also got a fit of the giggles when you said dynamic symmetry is way over your head. I know that you don’t ever read my SIA posts before writing your SIA posts and I don’t read yours before writing mine, so I find it so funny that we both found it necessary to share how darn confusing dynamic symmetry is! I felt fabulous in my outfit then I felt dumb trying to explain the art! Ha.
Well done, my friend.
Shelbee
Now, I’m giggling because dynamic symmetry reminds me of how difficult it was for me to get the concept of Schrodinger’s cat. It just seemed so nonsensical to me though it probably makes complete sense to you!!!
I absolutely love this dress and this company. It’s such a joyous riot of color and prints. I was going to try to make a slip, but when I priced everything, I decided to just buy it. Now, that I have one, I can take the measurements and start making some from all kinds of fun fabric! I have oodles of curtains I don’t have windows for. Does that make sense? At our last house, we had 18 windows, and I made the curtains (maybe more like drapes though I just made them with rod pockets rather than anything fancy). At this house, we have 6 windows…which really saddens me because I just didn’t realize how little natural sunlight that means. There weren’t a lot of places to add windows, but I could have added 3-4 more. Anyway, I have all these extra curtains in the closet, but they are heavy weight cottons and probably wouldn’t work for much beyond pillows and shower curtains. They’re really stiff and don’t wash well. But, we should definitely do another coffee date sometime soon!!
Thanks, my gorgeous friend!
Your dress is beautiful! I really like the details on the hem and sleeves. The slip really adds something extra!
Thanks, Laura! I forgot to even mention the embroidery on the hem and sleeves. You have an eye for detail! I think the slip definitely makes the outfit!
Marsha, what a perfect choice for the challenge! And I love the added slip to the outfit. Such a lovely look, and you look beautiful in it.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
https://followingmymuse.space
Thanks, Michelle! I have been watching this brand for years, and when I saw this dress, I had to have it. I thought about making my own slip, but after pricing items, it wasn’t that much less!
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