The full spectrum of color in Kevin's piece is striking. Noteworthy is his use of all sorts of buttons- not just those that one expects a man of his age to sport. Strawberry buttons, shimmering buttons as well as good old fashioned black buttons make up his image. This variety plays with one's expectations. Although I am unable to concretely discern a meaning behind his choice in media, I can try my hand at interpretation.
I appreciate how this mosaic is made up of not traditional tiles, but, fashion accessories (or if not accessories, components). Perhaps he is responding to the idea that fashion makes up a person. According to Horatio Greenough, fashion boasts the sensuous phenomena of progress without any real advance. Maybe Kevin agrees with this statement in that buttons are readily available and easily exhausted. One can trace back the use of the button for embellishment and/or fastening purposes to antiquity. The button has endured great storms, crusades, etc., however, it is not something physically set in stone. When a person buys a blouse, a spare button is usually supplied, to make up for the incompetent yet omnipresent invention. This is a point that I, in a more eloquent manner, hoped to bring up- which is: although fashion moves in cycles, not much has changed over the years. Whether functional or ornamental, the button is a classic- a staple in our everyday lives. It has stood the test of time and thus far has expressed immunity from alternate accessories such as the zipper.
Button, Button, Who's Got The Button? really got me thinking about everyday objects and design. It is of adequate size, however, I would have liked to see some action in the third dimension.
The full spectrum of color in Kevin's piece is striking. Noteworthy is his use of all sorts of buttons- not just those that one expects a man of his age to sport. Strawberry buttons, shimmering buttons as well as good old fashioned black buttons make up his image. This variety plays with one's expectations. Although I am unable to concretely discern a meaning behind his choice in media, I can try my hand at interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how this mosaic is made up of not traditional tiles, but, fashion accessories (or if not accessories, components). Perhaps he is responding to the idea that fashion makes up a person. According to Horatio Greenough, fashion boasts the sensuous phenomena of progress without any real advance. Maybe Kevin agrees with this statement in that buttons are readily available and easily exhausted. One can trace back the use of the button for embellishment and/or fastening purposes to antiquity. The button has endured great storms, crusades, etc., however, it is not something physically set in stone. When a person buys a blouse, a spare button is usually supplied, to make up for the incompetent yet omnipresent invention. This is a point that I, in a more eloquent manner, hoped to bring up- which is: although fashion moves in cycles, not much has changed over the years. Whether functional or ornamental, the button is a classic- a staple in our everyday lives. It has stood the test of time and thus far has expressed immunity from alternate accessories such as the zipper.
Button, Button, Who's Got The Button? really got me thinking about everyday objects and design. It is of adequate size, however, I would have liked to see some action in the third dimension.