INFORMATION
THX4NTH features a line of couture clothing constructed entirely out of plastic take-out bags. The concept centers around making the most out of nothing and questions the value of an individual. Over the course of my senior year, I worked to deliver a brand that encompassed my creative abilities with fashion, advertising, and photography.
The main wall of the gallery showcased an installation of 125 prints spanning across several plywood boards. My goal was to immerse viewers in a wall-to-wall display that emulated the city streets of Chicago. I drew inspiration from the rugged texture of wheatpaste advertisements.
Prior to the exhibition, I created a set of showcards to distribute as invitations. Each design referenced subtle allusions to the themes and inspiration behind my artwork.
ARTIST STATEMENT: Turning trash into treasured looks that serve, THX4NTH conveys a means of liberation from the experience of a social world suffused with expectations. My artwork seeks to restore individual dignity for those who have been reduced or underestimated by society. In THX4NTH, I deconstruct and reconstruct the value of an individual using plastic take-out bags, glue sticks, and scotch tape. Tailoring couture ensembles with plastic and inexpensive adhesives rejects imposed shame and neglect forced upon the individual by outside influence. Only a weak and flaccid echo of this violation now remains and from it emerges a reclaimed being. By transforming “thank you” bags into high fashion garments, I hope to show how out of repression comes renaissance.
MODELS: Anais, Ayo, Katie, Miranda, Jonathan, Whitney, Trystan, Esther, and Tommy
MODELS: Anais, Ayo, Katie, Miranda, Jonathan, Whitney, Trystan, Esther, and Tommy
Jonathan Gonzalez︎COPYRIGHT 2018
︎THX4NTH
︎THX4NTH