Jeff talked to Art Pharmacy about sustainability, ethical fashion and how he created a design to make onlookers think of summer at Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre.
In what ways do you think you’ve promoted high fashion in this work?
My work is alway about challenging my audience to look past what is trend and to focus on having a more ethical approach fashion/lifestyle whilst also still having fun through innovative material usage. For this work I used repurposed rubber offcuts to create dramatic collar and sleeve accessories for the mannequins. I believe this reflects high fashion as my garments do not rely on expensive materials for its value. Rather the time and design process that goes into creating the concept.
In what ways have you incorporated designs that suggest water?
There are a few components. I wanted to use a few different materials to creates a variety of water representations. The costumes have a bubble like quality to them, the inflatable balls and paper circles suggest dripping water and the graphics suggest more of a pool side/summer fun scene.
What materials have you used for this installation?
The outfits are cotton and rubber offcuts sourced from Reverse Garbage (a Marrickville-based creative reuse centre), hanging components are paper and inflatable balls, graphics are digital prints and mural hand painted onto the wall.
What are you hoping this work will do for people visiting BHP? What experience do you want them to have?
I hope the work makes the people visiting BHP think of summer. Whether if it is hot days relaxing by the pool, that feeling when you jump into the water or also the big celebrations we have around Christmas and New Years Eve.
What do you like best about this work?
I like that I was able to fill the entire space with the display and that I was able to create lots of texture and energy within the space. There is lots to look at from all different angles.
