Wearing the Forest
Research
Ghillie Suits
Eyes as Big As Plates
Images credit: Ikonen and Hjorth (2011)(ongoing) via Dickson (2020) and Marchese (2019) respectively.
This series, working with elderly figures, originally sought to find people ‘at home wit h nature’. It has since moved on to consider how society values the elderly, considering each individual’s profession. The models choose their backdrop, and the outfits are chosen on location.
The immersion in nature is what inspired me most about this work, as each subject appears totally engulfed by their background or surrounding landscape. The idea of ‘living with nature’ is normally metaphorical, but the literal version interests me.
Spotted at First-Light
Image credit: Chandler (2023)
This series by the artist Jeremy Chandler (2023) seeks to reframe traditionally hyper-masculine activities and objects in new lights, re-contextualising them. This use of a gillie suit, for example, subverts the military and hunting tropes of the equipment by coating the wearer in golden farm flowers. By doing this the artist creates something less directly functional, no longer simply serving as an item of camouflage. I’m intrigued by the use of living matter in a functional item of clothing, as it creates a sort of symbiosis, assuming the wearer cares for the plants.
Ackroyd and Harvey — Grass Coats for Extinction Rebellion
Images credit: Getty via Bobb (2019)
This functional work, titled ‘Grass Coats’ (Ackroyd and Harvey, 2019) uses a non disclosed process to create a wearable medium capable of growing and supporting grass seedlings. Selective light projection is then used to to create natural dye patterns, as the grass responds photosynthetically to areas that receive light, creating green chlorophyll. The coats were used in a protest at a 2019 fashion show, attempting to highlight the non-sustainable nature of the target brand, and the industry as a whole (Bobb, 2019).
I find the use of live plants intriguing, as it removes the necessity for some usual elements such as dyes, and the piece is self repairing. The aesthetic and feel are the elements i enjoy the most, as the wearers truly appear to be immersed in a piece of portable living ‘wild’ biology, creating a sort of connection to the grass.
Modelling as a Forest Monster
Cape Using Mesh Fabric to Hold Plants
I decided to produce a wearable piece for my project, and went with the idea of a cape with a mesh layer added, to create a space to fill with plant matter, as well as be able to fit plants within the mesh itself. This gives the ability to ‘wear’ plant life and the forest. I based my design on this pattern by Angel Peterson of fleecefun.com.
Fabrics
Base Mesh
For the base mesh I originally envisioned a hessian scrim, as used for plastering. Plastic anti-pest mesh from BnQ proved cheaper, however, and more flexible.
Charity Shop Hunting
For the main fabric I originally wanted fleece, which is both expensive new and generally environmentally unfriendly given its composition of loose plastic fibres, which readily enter the local environment. To reduce the waste, I went around 4 Canterbury charity shops to try and find second hand fleece, but didnt find large enough volumes to justify purchase.
Upholstery Fabric
Ultimately, leftover upholstery fabric from my mum’s sewing supplies was what I chose. The stripe pattern helps to make the form ambiguous, and the weight of the fabric is both relatively light whilst the fabric is strong.
Assembly: Hood
I started by assembling a piece for the interim show, the hood. Attaching the mesh to the face fabric was the trickiest part, given its flexibility and elasticity, which resulted in the form contorting inwards if the mesh was not attached loosely enough.
Hood on a mannequin before the show.
Assembly: Whole Piece
Following this success, I spent a few days assembling the full piece.
Attaching the mesh
Once assembled, I and a friend filled the mesh with grass.
The mesh pocket, however, proved too loose, with the grass piling at the bottom of the cape. I made some adjustments, sewing several rows of stitching and cutting new holes for bio material to be inserted into the new, smaller pockets. This solved the issue.
Whole Piece Contextualisation
We then went out to the fields, and filled the cape’s pockets with plant matter.
The way the piece blends the wearer into the environment means i consider the cape successful. It also smells amazing, as the plant matter dries out and organic compounds are released, producing the aroma of cut grass in summer.
Reference List
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Laurens, A., Dufour, D., André, G., Artrus-Bertrand, Y. and Thfoin, V. (2008) Treehouse Living. (s.l.): Abrams.
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Tentsile (s.d.) Tree Tents & Hammock Tents. At: https://www.tentsile.com/collections/tree-tents (Accessed 25/04/2023).
Tentsile (s.d.) Trilogy 6-Person Super Tree Tent. At: https://www.tentsile.com/products/trilogy-6-person-super-tree-tent#jsproductaccordion (Accessed 24/04/2023).
Tucker, E. (2015) Virtual reality presents a forest from an animal’s perspective. At: https://www.dezeen.com/2015/11/02/in-the-eyes-of-the-animal-virtual-reality-installation-marshmallow-laser-feast-abandon-normal-devices-festival-england/amp/?sspiabi=1683112398640 (Accessed 19/05/2023).
