Abstract
This work, titled Closet Connect, is an exploration of redesigning garments to foster our inherent connections. Closet Connect honors the radical interconnectedness of life and works within this framework through a system of collaboration with 4 people, in which a strong foundational relationship has been built. Within this project, 4 garments are upcycled in relation to the individual collaborator, showcasing their personality and individuality. This work is positioned against the mindless consumerism that fast fashion feeds off of. Instead, the practices are focused on a slower, more intentional approach that is ecologically conscious and grounded in gratitude. Longterm, the goals of this project are to shift the focus and ways we consume and interact with fashion, creating a playful, intentional experience that is aware of the reverberations our decisions bring and the possibilities they hold.
Artist Statement
Shanna Spiering is a multidisciplinary artist working in the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon, which, respectively, lay on the unceded land of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and several other Indigneous peoples. She received her Bachelor's Degree in General Fine Arts from the Pacific Northwest College of Art of Willamette University.
Shanna’s work takes on a personal, intimate approach. She is interested in exploring how we perceive the world and ourselves. Shanna’s work is concerned with the radical interconnectedness of life and working in an ecologically conscious manner. She not only wants to recognize and foster our inherent connections, but honor and celebrate them. Joy and love is a foundational component of how her work operates.
