EXHIBITION CATALOGUE & OVERVIEW
A LIVING CANVAS "I immediately knew I wanted to combine my love for classic visual art and my love for fashion design. I had always been inspired by visual artists for their skill, innovation, and impact." My name is Jane Benesh. My love of all things art and fashion started before I can remember. At three, I was sketching dresses and trying to make my own dresses with fabric and duct tape. At six, I was gifted my first hot pink sewing machine for Christmas. I was ecstatic: my visions would finally have a life, a movement. The actual process of making the garments I had dreamed up proved to be more difficult than my first-grade mind had originally assumed. My mom had to help me with everything, which proved to be difficult for both of us as she also had little experience with a sewing machine. Eventually I just started teaching myself. I would go hide in my room and come out hours later with little skirts, purses, and Barbie outfits. As my sewing skills grew, my parents began putting me in small sewing classes at museums where I built more skills. This led to my freshman year when I joined the HC Theatreworks costume team to put my skills to use. After two years, I am now the HC Theatreworks Head Student Costumer. When Dr. Linhart came to me with the idea for a themed exhibit, I was excited for the opportunity to grow and mature in what I love to do. Although displaying my work created anxiety in me, I knew it was important for me to do it in order for me to find my voice as an artist.
My greatest inspirations are Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. Each of these artists possesses a unique style or process that I drew inspiration from. Monet captures light reflecting off of water beautifully. To recreate that effect, I used a reflective fabric combined with shiny beads to represent the twinkles of light that Monet creates so well. I was also inspired by Van Gogh's unique use of swirls, so I manipulated my fabric to mimic the fluid lines in monochromatic shades that he is famous for. Finally, Picasso's integration of fluid, organic shapes with sharp geometric ones has always inspired me. I recreated this by combining an organic silhouette in the skirt with a geometric sleeve line. When I started out on this endeavor, my designs were extremely literal. I essentially wanted to recreate pieces of artwork into dresses. But after meeting with Dr. Linhart and taking his advice, I moved to focus on more specific elements I was inspired by and how those could translate into shape, silhouette, and color. By doing this, I really stretched my mind and opened up to new ideas. This not only helped me develop this project, but also helped me grow as an artist.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & GRATITUDE I would like to thank Dr. Linhart for helping me develop my ideas and pursue my dreams; my parents, who supported me throughout this project; my friends for being there with a coffee if I stayed up too late sewing; and finally, everyone who attended this evening to support me. This night is so important to me.
POST-IMPRESSIONISM FOCUS
Vincent Van Gogh Inspired
COMPLETED GARMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
PROCESS & ARTISTIC FOCUS
ORIGINAL CONCEPT DESIGN SKETCH
IMPACT ON ART HISTORY
• Post-Impressionism Movement: Renowned for emotional expression over pure realism.
• Shifted visual art toward raw emotional
• Swirl & Texture: Signature use of sweeping
• Laid the foundational influence for
swirls, thick brushstrokes, and brilliant hues.
Expressionism and Modern Art.
• Influences: Inspired Impressionists like Monet and Picasso; deeply influenced by Japanese prints.
expression rather than strict realism.
GARMENT CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
Cotton fabric for base dress • Layers of manipulated organza for the swirling monochromatic effect
A FASHION EXPOSÉ — LOOKBOOK
IMPRESSIONISM FOCUS
Claude Monet Inspired
COMPLETED GARMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
PROCESS & ARTISTIC FOCUS •Impressionist Technique: Famous for capturing light, color, and shifting atmospheric conditions. • Water Lilies Influence: Inspired by his iconic series of water lily pond paintings. • Loose Brushwork: Avoiding rigid detail to capture transient impressions and light reflections.
ORIGINAL CONCEPT DESIGN SKETCH
IMPACT ON ART HISTORY • Co-founded Impressionism, breaking away from strict academic fine art. • Inspired future generations of artists to prioritize sensory perception over exact precision.
GARMENT CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
Luminous Cotton Satin fabric • Hand-applied Glass Seed Beads to emulate twinkles of light on water
A FASHION EXPOSÉ — LOOKBOOK
CUBISM & ABSTRACTION FOCUS
Pablo Picasso Inspired
COMPLETED GARMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
PROCESS & ARTISTIC FOCUS
ORIGINAL CONCEPT DESIGN SKETCH
IMPACT ON ART HISTORY
•Cubism Pioneer: Co-created Cubism by deconstructing perspective and showing multiple viewpoints at once.
• Shattered classic perspective rules, empowering
• Shape & Form: Blending sharp geometric lines
unconventional structural expression.
modern abstract movements. • Paved the way for Surrealism and
with fluid organic silhouettes. • Key Influences: Cezanne, African masks, and Iberian sculpture.
GARMENT CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
Structured White Denim fabric • Architectural asymmetric collar and organic-geometric skirt construction
A FASHION EXPOSÉ — LOOKBOOK