My Favourite Posts

I've so enjoyed hearing from all of you about your favourite posts. As the writer, I've taken great pleasure in trying to present a fresh and unbiased perspective on art, books, exhibitions, and other creative works that sit on the boundary between fashion and art. I've had a lot of time to reflect on what I've written here (having been quite ill this past month), and there are some clear favourites that I thought I'd share with you.

Favourite Artist Profile:
I've learned so much from other artists. Two of my favourite profiles include Lessons from Yves Saint Laurent and Lessons from Doris McCarthy. 

Favourite Book Review:
I always have a stack of books beside my bed and on my desk. I read in every spare moment and I've even plowed through some indecipherable Phd theses, trying to deepen my knowledge of costume history. And so it is always a pleasant surprise when a non-fiction book is written with a light-hand, making it a delight instead of a chore to read. Two books come to mind: The Anatomy of Fashion by Susan J. Vincent and The Courtiers by Lucy Worsley. And if the most beautiful book to cross my desk would have to be Fashioning Fashion by LACMA.



Favourite Author Interview: 
Over the years, I've done my share of author interviews and I have to say I always remember the authors who made me laugh. And even though Lucy Worsley has one of the most serious jobs around as curator of the Royal Historic Palaces, she has a wicked sense of humour.  Lucy even invited me for a private tour of the palaces followed by tea and cakes in Kensington. I was tempted to hop on a plane the very next day to take her up on it!






Favourite Exhibition:
Last May, I travelled to London to see three fashion related exhibitions, including The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace, The Concise Dictionary of Dress at Blythe House, and Grace Kelly: Style Icon at the Victoria and Albert Museum. These were the first major exhibitions for which I had press status giving me access to materials that I would not otherwise have had. This material gave me a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the exhibits, particularly Artangel's presentation of The Concise Dictionary of Dress, in which no talking was allowed and for which there was no labeling of any kind. As a cross between a contemporary art installation and a fashion exhibition, it truly was ground breaking and with so few tickets available, it was an unforgettable experience.


Favourite Museum:
Although I am a huge fan of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum at FIT, the Bata Shoe Museum is tops for me. This is one of Toronto's finest gems with an extraordinary collection of footwear spanning centuries. With beautifully presented exhibitions that are rotated regularly, it is truly a Shoeaholic's Fantasy. And to make it even better, the curators and staff are as nice as they come.




Favourite Photo:
When I have a camera in hand, I generally like to take my time with lighting and set-up, striving to capture that perfect composition. Although I found it incredibly stressful at the time, two of my favourite photo-ops were ones where I had to work on the fly: photographing Angela Chen's show at Toronto Fashion Week in the spring and a performance of the Opera Atelier's School of Ballet. The light was poor and I could not use a flash. I did not know where people would be or what would happen next.



Favourite Post:
This is a tough one. When I first began this blog, I had great fun writing about Marie Antoinette and those posts continue to draw a large amount of traffic even today. But my favourite post has to be a quiz I created (which probably only a few people ever read) called Do you have Marie Antoinette Style?

The Girl behind the Blog

Me at 18 by Ingrid Mida

I suppose I'm too old to call myself a girl, but I will probably always feel like I'm still 18, just as I was when this photo was taken. I look pretty much the same; people often tell me that I haven't changed a bit. I still wear my hair like this and there are a few more wrinkles around the eyes, and I weigh about ten pounds less than I did then, but otherwise I'm basically the same girl with big dreams. When this photo was taken during a photography workshop, I had just been accepted into architecture school and the world was my oyster. I did not yet know of disappointment, rejection, loss, or death. And even though I am far too familiar with all of those things now, I still believe that the best is yet to come.

My love of fashion has deep roots. I was 10 when I discovered Vogue magazine and from that point saved my hard earned allowance and baby-sitting money to buy the latest issue. It has been a singular passion that has fed my soul (and of course depleted my pocketbook). Although my closet now contains a range of designer labels, my studio uniform consists of jeans and a checked shirt with a cashmere sweater thrown over my shoulders (just like I wore when I was 18).

In my current role as Collection Coordinator of the Fashion Resource Centre in the School of Fashion at Ryerson University, I am working to edit and reestablish the collection as a premiere site of Canadian fashion. As a devotee of fashion, museology and material culture, I have my dream job.

I rarely write about myself on my blog. I like to write pieces with a bit of intellectual heft (so that my brain doesn't turn to mush) and I'm also cognizant of the fact that I'm married to a man who is deeply private. Plus I have two teenage sons who have inherited their dad's desire for anonymity. But perhaps it is time to share a little more about myself.

My path to becoming an artist and writer is a bit of a circuitous one. I wrote poems, songs and stories as a child and copied drawings by Michelangelo on discarded envelopes. My father and an older brother loved photography and I too spent many hours in our homemade darkroom in the basement. Our house was always filled with music as my parents loved the opera and I learned to play the piano and clarinet. I made all my clothes until I was 23, only giving it up when I no longer had the time. Although I began my university studies in architecture, I switched programs when I realized that how cyclical the profession could be. As a girl who needed to pay her way, I did not want to be a waitress after seven years of university education and instead I earned a BA in Economics and then a masters degree from the University of Waterloo. After a number of years working as a consultant, my passion for the written word started calling to me and I took a position as an executive with a Toronto daily newspaper. It got me close to the action but I was not quite close enough. When the opportunity arose and when I wanted more flexibility in my life to be with my children, I threw caution to the wind and tried my hand at freelance writing and editing. I was still taking photos and drawing in the margins, but not as a career.

It wasn't until my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease that I realized that I would not have forever to follow my passions. This was less than two years after my father had died of complications of Parkinson's disease, trapped in the prison of his body, unable to speak or swallow. Even though my grandmother lived in good health until she was 98, my mother was only 68 when her life changed irrevocably. It was the very next day that I picked up a paintbrush and began again as an artist. I've studied art, photography, and costume history at Ontario College of Art, Ryerson University, George Brown College, University of Toronto and Toronto School of Art. In a way, I'm a bit of a course junkie, taking great delight in learning something new.

Over the years, there have been ups and downs. Learning to face rejection and the whims of the art marketplace has been tough. I've had some wild successes - like selling out my first gallery show, having the director of the AGO attend my opening, and having a prestigious Canadian law firm buy one of my pieces. But there have also been huge disappointments with embarrassing rejections, long stretches that I've been unable to produce, see my way or sell my work. I think this blog has helped me to weather those patches with a ready outlet for my creative energy. For that reason, I am grateful to all of you who come back to visit me here.

Lessons from Artist Doris McCarthy

Doris McCarthy turns 100 years old today! This accomplished artist has created a vast legacy of work that celebrates the beauty and majesty of Canada's landscape. But she is more than just a painter. An art teacher for 40 years, a writer of four published books, and a friend to many, she has lived a full and glorious life. 

Since my recent experience at the painting workshop inspired by the work of Doris McCarthy, I've been rereading the books of her life, searching for tidbits of wisdom. It wasn't an easy task to distill her books into life lessons as her writing tended towards more of an account of her life than an attempt to impart her knowledge. And for that reason, I must note that this list of life lessons is strictly my own interpretation. I've included quotes in some cases, but in many, I've had to read between the lines.

Accept what comes your way! 
Doris did not have an easy life.  She faced setbacks, disappointment and heartache many times. In each of her trials, she tried to accept what life had to offer and look upon each day (and each painting) as a new beginning.

Forgive others.
In several of her books, Doris mentions the rejection of two banners she created for the chancel of St. Aidan's church. Not long after they were installed, they were removed without notice or explanation. As a member of the church, Doris forgave this professional insult and continued to be a full participant in the congregation, although she did admit "it took a lot of prayer and charity". Doris says "why waste my precious life spending energy on righteous indignation....every time my thoughts turn in that direction I pull them away to something else. Eventually I can laugh about it." (Ninety Years Wise, page 61)

Express gratitude.
"I am daily aware of and grateful for being alive and having the energy to work and enjoy people. I am sure that both the awareness and the gratitude are part of the reasons for my being so." (Ninety Years Wise, page 54)


Live simply.
In Doris' words, "As long as I have food and shelter, happiness doesn't depend on my standard of living. All of us who lived through the Great Depression, before the social safety net, learned that. Life wasn't easy, but it was good. Money was so scarce that it offered few options or temptations." This quest for simplicity stayed with Doris throughout her life, and in her books she often mentions how she likes to "know where I have put everything. The simplicity I value so much depends on having few things but keeping them in order." (Ninety Years Wise, page 33).

Exercise and eat well.
For as long as she was able, Doris stayed active with daily exercise including swimming, walking, and skating. And while there are several photos of Doris with a glass of wine in her hand, she learned the lesson of moderate drinking on her first painting trip to the Gaspe. In a comedic account of that incident, she states that it was the first and last time she overindulged. "Moderate drinking is an expression of my respect for my body, and of course moderation applies to food as well. Vanity was the root of my habit of eating temperately, to get rid of excess weight, but it is a habit I recommend." (Ninety Years Wise, page 76).
 
Be open to learning new things.
When Doris was in her seventies, she decided that she wanted a BA and she began her studies at the Scarborough College campus of the University of Toronto. After enrolling in a creative writing course, Doris learned how to use a computer. Doris got her degree and went on to write four books. "Writing gave me a second chance - not to change things, but to savor them. That is a great gift." (My Life, page 3)

Cultivate friendships.
In all of Doris's books, she mentions the many friends who have crossed her path. The reverence with which she describes her friends is proof of the great pleasure that she found from friends, making her life full while respecting her own need for solitude and quiet. Although her longest and dearest friends like Marjorie and Roy Wood passed on years ago, Doris still revels in their spirit citing that "death does not end a friendship.

Be true to yourself.
Given Doris' prolific career as a landscape painter, I was surprised to learn that she had extensive training in figure drawing and sculpture while at OCA. And in her early years as an artist, she even painted flowers when she needed to sell some work to raise cash. But over time, she must have realized that her heart was in the land. She stayed true to herself, not succumbing to the latest trends in the art world and painting what caught her eye and gave her pleasure.

The Doris McCarthy Trail 

Photo by Ingrid Mida 2010

How I wish Doris had written down some of her lessons as an art teacher of 40 years. Her books contain only a few fragments about how she worked as a painter. It is clear that she was disciplined in her work habits and often told others to "just paint". But I have not yet unraveled the mystery behind her powerful work. If I was able to ask her, she might reply:

"You don't need to prove what you know. (Who can prove the power of a great work of art?). You know it because you experience the power." (Ninety Years Wise, page 63)

Books Cited:
Doris McCarthy: Ninety Years Wise.
by Doris McCarthy.
Published by Second Story Press, 2002

Doris McCarthy: My Life
by Doris McCarthy and Chris Wahl
Published by Second Story Press, 2006.

Profile of an Artist: Noel Palomo-Lovinski

Noel Palomo-Lovinski is the artist behind Confessions and the Sense of Self at Kent State University Museum.  In this question and answer format post, I have interviewed Noel about her work.

1. What is your background and education?

I have a BFA in fashion design from Parsons the New School for Design, an MA in Visual Culture from New York University and an MFA in Textiles from Kent State University. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the Kent State Fashion and Merchandising department. I have done a lot of freelance work and worked at places like DKNY, Episode and Anne Crimmins.


2. Are textiles your primary form of artwork or do you do other forms of art as well?

My background is in fashion design so drawing and illustration are major parts of my design process. They do not result in a final art piece though. I am not currently represented by a gallery.



3. How long were you working on the Confessions project?

I have been working on this subject area since 2003.


4.  What did you find most surprising about the confessions that you read?

The most surprising aspect was how universal so many of them were and how different image can be from reality.


5.  What is your next project?

I haven't gotten there yet but I would like to perhaps explore more sculptural aspects in connection to fabric and, of course, confessions.


6.  Where do you find in inspiration for your work?

I read a lot. I hear a lot of issues brought up with other women I know that mirror my own concerns and I start to see patterns.



7.  Who is your favourite fashion desginer?

I have many but I greatly admire the work of Hussein Chalayan, Rei Kawakubo, and Alexander McQueen.

Profile of an Artist: Samuel Thomas

Samuel Thomas,  a member of the Lower Cayuga Band of the Iroquois Nation, is a self-taught artist who incorporates traditional Iroquois embossed (three-dimensional) beading and symbolism in his pieces. Over the past 27 years, he has received over 90 national and international awards for his work and has pieces in permanent collections of many museums in the United States and Canada, including the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Sam initially learned to work with leather and discovered bead work when he wanted to embellish his leather pieces. He began to research and revitalize traditional bead work techniques and found his calling in this intricate art. Sam incorporates traditional Iroquois design, symbolism and teachings into his contemporary pieces which typically include the strawberry and hummingbird as his personal identity markers. The strawberry is an important fruit to the Iroquois people, as one of the five sacred gifts that Sky Woman brought to the earth when she fell through a hole left by the uprooting of the celestial tree in the sky world as well as having medicinal properties. The hummingbird is a contemporary motif representing the balance between good and evil.

Samuel Thomas's projects have spanned the globe. In 2003, he received several grants including an Ontario Arts Council grant and a Canada Council grant to collaborate with African artists to create a six foot tall beaded tree of peace, a "visual representation of cross-cultural peace and unity". While in Africa, Thomas worked with indigenous peoples and artists to learn their almost extinct beading techniques, document their heritage and conduct collaborative workshops.  This project was based on the traditional Iroquoian teaching of peace and unity in which a white pine tree was uprooted and all weapons of war were placed into the pit with the tree re-planted on top to become the Great Tree of Peace. It was told that the roots of the Great Tree spread in all directions of Mother Earth and that anyone seeking peace and protection under the Great Tree can follow the roots back to their source to find peace. Each element of the tree was carefully considered as to its underlying meaning. For example, there are fifty branches to represent the fifty original chiefs of the Iroquois Confederacy, fifty strawberries to symbolize cleansing and renewal, and an eagle perched on top to watch for danger and protect the people. Even the East Africans bead winding process called Mutilima is representative of the continuous winding symbolizing the continuity of life.  The Great Tree of Peace was unveiled at the United Nations headquarters on May 15, 2007.

More recently, Samuel Thomas traveled to places of sacred power as Stonehenge, the Temple of Delphi in Greece, the Egyptian Pyramids, Kenya, and our own Niagara Falls. While at these places of power, Samuel Thomas used them as sources of inspiration for bead work pieces created on site. The result of this work will be unveiled at the Grimsby Museum in December 2009.

This humble artist has created incredibly powerful work that celebrates the traditions of his people while furthering the cause of peace and harmony through the world. He does not have his own website and neither is he interested in publicity. Nevertheless, he is both a great artist and a great man and that is the reason I wanted to acknowledge his very important work.

To see a few more examples of Samuel Thomas' beautiful beadwork, visit Bear Paw Keepsakes on-line or visit the Grimsby Museum in Ontario (December 10, 2009 to March 2010).