Stephen R. Pellerine
Statement of Intent: Oxford University
Fabricating the Avant-garde
As a student at Oxford University I would like to design, sew, and photograph experimental fashion in different settings. Ultimately I hope to investigate audiences’ perceptions of various aesthetics, in particular atypical avant-garde designs. Philosophically I would like to keep an eye on views from the early classic works of Kant to modern views from scholars like Grahams. As a photography instructor at the tertiary level, a co-coordinator of a fashion design club, a professional photographer, and a make-up artist, I would like to link these skills into a unified artistic expression. Essentially I would like to weave together these proficiencies transitioning fabrics to original and unique works of art that tell stories. The aim is to develop a recognizable and distinctive style through this exploratory study. I have been developing my art(s) from Fabric to Fashion:
These are 30 from the 400+ garments I have made, shot, and edited in a commercialistic format. I would like to move on and create something more striking and fictional. I plan to design, sew, do make-up, style hair, design and/or set the atmosphere through carefully considered backgrounds, and orchestrate photography of various compositions. An overarching goal is to study the perception of to gain insights that may inform the field of aesthetics.
I want to do something new and unexpected. Although I selfishly admit that I love my current work. I love my photography. I love my design. I love my tailoring. I love my make-up work. I love my styling. I love my art. I love teaching photography yet I realize that I am not content with what I do. I feel my work is lacking. I view my current state as a kind of ground zero, and wish to push borders and develop something aesthetically innovative. It is hard to articulate exactly what I want at this stage as I hope the process will help in evolving my new vision. I’m hoping that this opportunity is a symbiotic opportunity that helps springboard my current practices into a more advanced conceptual artistic paradigm. That being said I do want to assure that I have a vision that will synthesize the various artistic elements as described above. What I have done, and do, is a necessary precursor for the stages I am proposing to create with you at Oxford. I’m now ready for the next stage. Acadmic images.
In terms of exhibiting the work I feel that each stage of the process, whatever this will entail, could be documented via autoethnography as I progress, and then represented in a series of installations exhibiting the progression detailing the development of a multimedia artist. Artifacts at an exhibition, if time allows, might include:
a glass covered table with make-up brushes and scattered supplies
a series of coat racks with my hats, handbags, and accessories
a ceiling with bikini bottoms
a sewing machine, or two
sketches of the garments
the garments on mannequins, and the photography.
In addition to the goal of aiming to develop my skills and artistry, I hope to set the stage for work at the doctoral level. Future endeavors may involve looking at: 1) a deeper view of viewer perception regarding beauty from cognitivist standpoint, and 2) developing a pedagogy to be a better media instructor. I am an educator at heart and therefore would hope to return to instruction after this intensive study.
Oxford would be a good home for me, I feel. I have studied and taught in the USA (Harvard and Columbia Universities) and studied fashion design from Italy. I want to awaken my artistic in Europe, at Oxford.
During the time it takes to complete this program it would be nice to live within the avant-garde.
Academic Underpinnings? Reseach Questions
"The arts are an important part of human life and culture. They attract a large measure of attention and support from states, commercial companies and the public at large. But what makes something ‘art’, and why should we value it?" (Graham 2005). I envision painting a philosophical background pertaining to aesthetics and the perception of fashiosn and photograpy I create, entering a zone of supervised autoethnography to design and test, monitor and track viewer perception, and doing so in a way that findings can transcend into meaningful insights; how people perceive. This could be an interesting book if plotted well from the beginning, something like: On perceiving and being perceived.
1) How is "a" particular garment perceived in different settings?
2) How is "a" particiular garment preceived by different cultural sub-groups?
3) Does make-up/accessorization of a garment alter the perception of it?
4) Do commonalities suggest a universal beauty exists?