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upcoming exhibitions

Outfitters: The Contemporary Art of Clothing
March 4 - May 13, 2012

Each day, every one of us adorns our bodies in some way. We can all relate to wearing clothing, and we all instinctively know that clothing has meaning and the power to communicate who we are and where we are going. Outfitters features 20 artists who create surreal narratives about clothing, or use clothes or their armature, to explore concepts of memory, identity and human nature. Artists in Outfitters hail from around the world and work on the conceptual edge of craft, creating artworks that address our deep-seated attachment to what we – and others – wear.

"Many of the artworks reference the nature and value of clothing, transforming it into a sculpture with a historic or political reference, or a narrative story," says Bedford Gallery Curator Carrie Lederer. "Since the Middle Ages, the ways in which people cover or adorn our bodies provide ample clues about their lives – from social status and profession to ethnicity. There is an inherent political statement in our outerwear, and many of the artworks beg the questions: 'What is beauty?' 'How is it defined?' And, 'who defines it?'"


artists
Jody Alexander
Michael Arcega
Renee Billingslea
Libby Black
Nick Cave
Pip Culbert
Vic De La Rosa
Margo Jones Duvall
Susan Fenton
James Gilbert
Allyson Hollingsworth
Jeremiah Jenkins
Charlotte Kruk
Robin Lasser & Adrienne Pao
Elisabeth Lecourt
Victoria May
Laura Raboff
Beverly Rayner
Rose Sellery