What is Wearable Art?

Also known as art wear, it consists of individual pieces like clothing and jewellery that are handmade in a fine, expressive manner and skill. They can be worn, but they are mostly put up in exhibitions. Wearable art comes from an individual artist, and it is a serious business.

It is different from mainstream fashion, but they are related. Wearable art comes in various forms, such as sculptural, knitwear, leather, weaving, and sewing.

Wearable art is mostly made from fibrous materials that constitute a wider field of fibre art. Art wear includes both wearable and non-wearable art forms made of fabric and fibre products. The domain can consist of jewellery, and clothing from non-fibre materials like plastics, metals, or leather.

Wearable art History

Wearable art came into existence in the 1960s and bloomed in the 1970s, and progressed to the 2000s. Factors like social, political, and cultural were the fertile grounds for artists to express themselves and explore body decorations.

In the 1970s, the creation of wearables was unconventional through individual language from an artist. The art’s emergence was cultivated by a new fashion movement a decade before.

Wearable Fibre Art

Wearable fibre art by creative artists can use purchased finished fabrics or other materials to make unique garments. They can be dyed or painted virgin fabric, countering the common belief that art is expensive.

Local companies are on the surge to produce quality work that is affordable to many. Wearable art is not only in jewellery but also in graphic T-shirts and pants.

The talent and skills in this art form vary widely as it requires craft and artistic skills. An artist can study colour, chemistry, sewing, clothing design, and some technology like photoshop and illustrator.

Jewellery as Wearable Art

Artisans make art jewellery to express creative designs and wearable art. It emphasizes creative expressions and strategies that are characterized by various materials. They are More than fashion accessories showing off expensive gems, and modern artists promoted the body ornaments to the subtle original design.

In the 20th century, artists sought to elevate bodily ornamentation by making fine art jewellery, meaning they were designed in conventional settings. They show off expensive and precious stones or metals.

Extreme Wearable Art

While creating these art pieces, designers are at liberty to use different materials and fabrics. Here are some extraordinary creations.

The Portland Oregon Trashion Collective: Garments are created out of trashed materials with the mantra Junk to Funk like Marina DeBris’ work known as Trashion.
TV Bra: During a performance in 1969, the Nam June Paik title was recognized when Charlotte Moorman played the cello. She wore a brassiere made of two small television sets, which was an art statement.
Electric Dress: It is a ceremonial wedding kimono with electrified, painted light bulbs with an entanglement of wires, and Atsuko Tanaka, a Japanese artist, created it.
Garments for Forced Intimacy: These are hand-knitted clothes meant to be worn simultaneously by two people forcing them into unusual closeness.

NOTE: Artwear is any creation designed to be worn in a venue decided by the artist, like on the runway, at parties, or by individuals to make a statement.

Technology development in wearable computing is on the increase in style and is now blending with art wear esthetics. Mobile computing low power emits light and flexible colour changes on high-tech fabrics used as a distinction.

The Steampunk movement has costumes and accessories that incorporate a pseudo-victorian style in modern technology and materials. Other artists like Isamaya Ffrench and Damselfrau create masks as part of wearable art using lego bricks, plastic trinkets, and old laces.

Wearable Computing

They are wearable on the body, whether narrow or broad, covering smartphones or wristwatches. Computerized wear may be of general use or a specific use like watches used as fitness trackers.

Computer wearables are equipped with sensors like accelerometers, thermometers, and heart rate monitors to monitor all body vitals. They may evolve into all-purpose devices like when PDAs and mobile phones converged into smartphones.

Most fitness trackers are strapped to the wrist or hung from the neck, arm or leg during exercise. Others have been spotted on stranger areas like on a finger, on the head as glasses or helmet.

However, they come with some challenges shared by other computing devices like batteries, area networks, and data management. They are also active throughout because they work and record continuously.

Conclusion

Wearable art is not a standard style, but it is picking. Some people even wear them unknowingly like T-shirts, bracelets, and canvas prints, among others. Designers from diverse backgrounds showcase their creativity and inventions in garments.

For those who love to keep fit, computer wearables will never disappoint as all your body vitals are recorded in real-time while exercising and throughout the day. Look good, feel useful, and unique in art wear and influence others to love it.