Dreaming of Better Outfits: A Mosaic for Verner

The annual Verner Award Art Auction and Gala is approaching. This year selected artists have been asked to submit three works for the exhibition. As a participating artist, I’ve made my three selections, dutifully making one work over a thousand dollars and two works under a thousand. I’ve chosen one moderately priced painting, one expensive mosaic, and one inexpensive mosaic/painting combination.   Good for balance.

The elaborate mosaic pictured above is my assemblage of ceramic relief sculpture with a mixed media mosaic background called “Dreaming of Better Outfits.” The sleeping, or dreaming, figure in the lower left dons a simple white dress with green markings. The dream outfits are hand sculpted out of white earthenware clay, painted in underglaze colors, then decorated with overglaze enamels - two firings in all. The outfits are: party outfit, business suit, maternity dress, and wedding gown. The wedding gown detail is depicted at right.

Hopefully this piece is as provocative as it is entertainingly decorative. Are the outfits the dreamer’s aspirations to a better state of being? Are they “better” for the dreaming woman or are they thought to be “better” as representing roles defined by the society in which the woman lives and works?