Surrealist Couture of the Blackland Prairie
What was planned to be a work residency in Writers House, Corsicana TX, exploring textile heritage in a bodily context and a theme around debutante dresses turned into a community art project, a theatrical fashion show.
I had brought 20 grey sweaters made for rescue people's uniform at my family's former textile factory in Ikast, Jutland, DK and a copy of my own torso in padded calico. I wanted to explore the meet up with texan clothing culture and mindset, with a focus on body diversity.
What I couldn't plan was, that visual artist Nancy Rebal came to Writers House as I still had some jet lag with an Idea: "Why don't we make a fashion show while you are here?
David is in!(David Searcy, writer and Nancy's husband) We can get the the hole town engaged, I know it! We can get people to model, to sew, to play music and to document the process and film the show".
I agreed with a little hesitant but was too curious to let it go.
David was writing a script, a story that connected the old moors of Jutland with the Blackland Prairie in Texas, knitted our heritages together with the universe and the subconsciousness. I had a workshop running in Writers House and Nancy was organising everything. Two and a half week later we had our show at the Terry Fator Theater. David read up his text while models were entering and circling around the stage accompanied by Mikael Kaster playing the Tuba. A video team lead by Katy Mcclellan documented the show and the whole process before and after and the show.
I had brought 20 grey sweaters made for rescue people's uniform at my family's former textile factory in Ikast, Jutland, DK and a copy of my own torso in padded calico. I wanted to explore the meet up with texan clothing culture and mindset, with a focus on body diversity.
What I couldn't plan was, that visual artist Nancy Rebal came to Writers House as I still had some jet lag with an Idea: "Why don't we make a fashion show while you are here?
David is in!(David Searcy, writer and Nancy's husband) We can get the the hole town engaged, I know it! We can get people to model, to sew, to play music and to document the process and film the show".
I agreed with a little hesitant but was too curious to let it go.
David was writing a script, a story that connected the old moors of Jutland with the Blackland Prairie in Texas, knitted our heritages together with the universe and the subconsciousness. I had a workshop running in Writers House and Nancy was organising everything. Two and a half week later we had our show at the Terry Fator Theater. David read up his text while models were entering and circling around the stage accompanied by Mikael Kaster playing the Tuba. A video team lead by Katy Mcclellan documented the show and the whole process before and after and the show.
Group-Exhibition
Texas, 2024
The Terry Fator Theater,
The Warehouse Living Arts Center,
Corsicana, Texas
March 9, 2024 — March 9, 2024
Materials: grey sweaters, sequin dresses, cotton and potato sacks
Producer and visual artist :Nancy Rebal
Writer and master of Ceremoni:David Searcy
Tuba player:Mikael Kaster
Writer and master of Ceremoni:David Searcy
Tuba player:Mikael Kaster
Photos:
Camille O'Briant
Thanks:
Nancy Rebal, David Searcy, Michael Kaster, Tim Coursey, Daniel Gonzales, Gerardo Gonzales, Marco Gonzales, Alysia Harris, Mae Baldwin, Heidy Pascacio Camacho, Kyle Hobratschk, Sherry Clark, Debbie Taylor, Victoria Wright, Levi Farmer, Dan Arredondo, John Kaiser, Lupe Miranda, Lou Michaels, Joe Brooks, Ruby Williams, Wayne Hall, Deborah Johnson, Caydee Collins, Keyonnia Dinita, Jean Searcy, Bennett Baldwin, John Davies, Gill Glasgow, Camile O'Briant, Jessie Adler, Margarita Birnbaum, Mark Birnbaum, Katy Mcclellan, Greg Mcfaden, James Neel, Raoul Torresi, Charlie Drum,
Danish Arts Foundation, Nationalbankens Jubilæumsfond
Nancy Rebal, David Searcy, Michael Kaster, Tim Coursey, Daniel Gonzales, Gerardo Gonzales, Marco Gonzales, Alysia Harris, Mae Baldwin, Heidy Pascacio Camacho, Kyle Hobratschk, Sherry Clark, Debbie Taylor, Victoria Wright, Levi Farmer, Dan Arredondo, John Kaiser, Lupe Miranda, Lou Michaels, Joe Brooks, Ruby Williams, Wayne Hall, Deborah Johnson, Caydee Collins, Keyonnia Dinita, Jean Searcy, Bennett Baldwin, John Davies, Gill Glasgow, Camile O'Briant, Jessie Adler, Margarita Birnbaum, Mark Birnbaum, Katy Mcclellan, Greg Mcfaden, James Neel, Raoul Torresi, Charlie Drum,
Danish Arts Foundation, Nationalbankens Jubilæumsfond
@ Anne Damgaard
