6:56 pm • 3 December 2012 • 2,629 notes
“Send No Flowers”, 2012. Children’s medium denim vest (originally a jacket) bleached and dyed with Procion dyes. Materials used: Linoleum nails, finishing nails, pyramid studs, cone studs, silk flowers, and watercolor paint.
Even though I have been into punk music since middle school, I have never owned or made a “punk vest”. I have always been hesitant to define myself as “a punk” because I felt that I never looked the part, even when I tried my hardest to. People are often very surprised when I bring up my taste in music and see me as sort of a novelty. “Oh, how cute and surprising!” I sometimes feel as though as a female, I have to somehow “prove” myself as a punk fan more so than a man would have to.
For this project, I modified a children’s jacket into a vest that is dangerous to the wearer and those around the wearer. On first view, the vest is pretty typical with the spray bleach effects and studs. The back is pretty from a distance but functions as a weapon and a form of protection, keeping anyone from getting too close. The nails continue onto the neck and prick the wearer in the neck, making wearing the vest very uncomfortable. It functions as a reminder to be aware of my differences and aware of my femininity. Never get too comfortable.
