Arts & Culture Magazine - March/April 2008 - (Page 39) By Alison Abbey : : Profile Miriam Cassell Wearable Art with a Sense of Humor hether it’s supporting the causes of those less fortunate or sharing the plight of those whose voices are rarely heard, most of Miriam Cassell’s art is rooted in her empathy for mankind. “A significant portion of my art identifies with the wounded world,” she says. But, that doesn’t mean Miriam is morose. In fact, the eccentric artist embraces her whimsical side in both her daily life and in her wearable art. “Whenever I get dressed, it is an artistic performance,” she says. “I live and breathe and wear my art. It sort of balances my serious art when I’m out there all dressed up.” That wearable art combines a number of Miriam’s favorite media and mixes in more than a hint of irreverence. “I combine vintage clothes with my own creations,” she explains. “I put things together in an unusual manner. In my constant search for new and innovative means of expressing ideas, I constantly experiment with many mediums.” Those include (but are certainly not limited to) painting, drawing, collage, construction, photography, xerography, silk screening, giclée and fiber: often, all in one piece. “I have knitted and crocheted coats, gowns and dresses,” Miriam says. “I have made a reversible fur coat. I sew, patchwork, embroider, silk screen and collage handbags, shawls and jewelry.” Her sense of whimsy is evident in each of her pieces, especially in those that include a quote from Peggy Guggenheim, who, when asked how many husbands she’d had, cheekily replied, “Do you mean my own or other people’s?” “I like to put a sense of humor in my art,” Miriam says. “I love to make people laugh.” Above all, she is dedicated to her artistic pursuits and takes every opportunity to explore all realms of her craft. That passion for art makes a statement on her wearable pieces; literally. The phrase “hands at work, mind at peace” is sewn into each on her label. “I don’t have anybody to work for me,” she says. “I decorate things, I make them from scratch, I design, I do the sewing. I do it all by myself. Everything is one of a kind.” It’s that lack of hierarchical structure that allows her to keep reinventing herself as an artist. “Art is always evolving, nothing should be planned out,” she says. w Delightful Sense of Whimsy : : Collage. www.artsandculturemag.com arts and culture magazine : : 39 http://www.artsandculturemag.com
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