Amalgam - Midterm

BY CAROLINE MATHEWS

amalgam (n.) - A combination of diverse elements; a mixture.

My thesis will explore the concept of collage, mainly as it relates to fashion and wardrobe (but not limited to those things)...I am inter-ested in the effects and new meanings that can result from taking things apart and putting them back together in unexpected ways. I will explore collage not only as an aesthetic, but also as a practical and useful tool.

My approach is to create an online outfit generator where one could upload photos of clothing from their own wardrobe, as well as pho-tos of prints, patterns, landscapes, or just about anything. The site would then create a database of the items uploaded and could then create different outfits/collages using these pieces. By automating and randomizing the process of choosing an outfit to wear, a new outlook on one’s own wardrobe, and the clothing combinations possible, could be achieved.

The precedent for creating this tool came out of two very simple things: a) my enjoyment of the aesthetic of collage, and b) I could never decide what to wear in the morning and was surprised to find that there was no online tool in existence where you could test out different outfits without actually having to try them on.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Amalgam is an online tool and outfit generator that is meant to mix and match pieces of clothing, and/or images of other things such as prints, patterns, landscapes, etc to create visually interesting and inspiring outfits and collages. It explores collage not only as an aesthetic, but also as a practical everyday tool.

Amalgam can be used strictly as a sensible device, or can be used just to create interesting, inspiring collages. If they so please, us-ers of Amalgam are encouraged to ‘hack’ the program and use it in a more creative and less literal way...on the other hand, a user may also use it solely as a means to see what certain items of clothing would look like together, so that they may accurately plan out an outfit with the click of a button. By automating and randomizing the process of choosing an outfit to wear, a new outlook on one’s own wardrobe, and the clothing combinations possible, could be achieved.

Because of the available variation in use and content, each user’s database and collage outcomes will vary greatly, and that is one of the most intriguing aspects of Amalgam -- it’s all up to the user!

PERSUASIVE TEXT

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saved results

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your outfit: inspired by:

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your outfit: inspired by:

Documents

Amalgam - Midterm