In collaboration with New York based artist Larry Rushing, this dress was made using fine art painting, digital printing, fashion draping, and sewing by hand and machine. Reams’ work is inspired by color, the female body form and Rushing’s paintings. Rushing’s paintings are inspired by his belief that femininity as the center of creativity and the improvisational rhythm of jazz, utilizing his anima to express an exquisite sense of color.
The painting that inspired this dress is called Grosse Femme Nue. The cut follows the motifs, and hand-sewn cording embellishes the surface design by bringing the outlines into relief. A shadow version of the print peeks out of deep pleats on the sides and center back. The seams were sewn by machine. This dress was developed for and shown in the Faculty and Alumni Exhibition at Miami University Art Museum, fall 2021.
Photos by Monet Cavanaugh