“Now I am content to say I paint like that because it is the technique that seems to me best fitted to give the most harmonious, luminous and highly coloured results…and that’s the way I like it.”
Paul Signac (1894)
Seduced by the perpetual vibrancy of sunlight, a group of artists lightened their souls by capturing nature in her most ideal form. The shy brushstrokes of the Neo-Impressionists fashioned a language through which one is reconciled with the creative spirit; palettes of luminous colours that pulsate and harmonise signify a celebration of the essence of light on an almost molecular scale. On days when the earth is bathed in a golden hue, I find myself preserving the legacy of these artists; dressing in delicate water-floral prints and timid pastel shades. It is often not a conscious decision to align my clothing with the colour and tones of the external world. However, I’m sure you’ve felt it too – the lure of a golden promise that hangs in the air, inspiring you to celebrate nature’s gift of sunlight through delicate fabrics, prints and tones. Clothing is to us what paint was to the Neo-Impressionists, a means through which our inner landscape can be harmonised with the temperament of the world around us.
I spent an evening with Signac, well, sort of, designing these two outfits after being enticed by the blushing mauve hues of his 1914 painting Juan-les-Pins. Evening (first version). I wanted the colour and style of my garments to express the tranquillity of Signac’s work; capturing the delicate flecks of afternoon sunlight, as they are absorbed into the simple silhouette of the landscape.
I attempted to achieve a sense of both physical and aesthetic harmony with this dress. Not only does the absence of zips or buttons ensure complete freedom for the wearer, but the delicate mauve stretch knit fabric captures a Neo-Impressionistic floral motif caressed by a generous morning sun.
Alexia Petsinis, Fashion Design student and Blogger http://pascaletal.wordpress.com/
Photography by Joshua Montebello