Garment As Metaphor, Erica Spitzer Rasmussen discusses her wearable art

Examples of work

​Hey ladies--want to be big, strong, and...hairy chested? Just eat tomatoes. That's what somebody told artist Erica Spitzer Rasmussen when she was nine years old. As a result, she avoided the juicy red fruit for 20 years. That childhood experience--and many others--have inspired her art throughout the years, and will be one of the subjects she discusses in her upcoming lecture, Garment as Metaphor: The Paper Works of Erica Spitzer Rasmussen at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

"I use clothing as subject matter because it allows me a ground on which to investigate identity and corporeality," she states from her website, which includes tabs labeled 'Sculptural/Wearable Work' and 'Books/Collars.' "My garments are metaphors."

In addition to discussing the inspiration for her wearable art, the artist will share her techniques for embellishing with more non-traditional, non-archival materials. Again from her website, Spitzer Rasmussen writes, "When I see tomato paste, dog hair, sausage casings, spent tea bags, or dried fish skins, I envision a work that may be transitory in nature, but rich in surfaces."

The Minneapolis Institute of Art's Decorative Arts, Textile, and Sculpture Affinity Group hosts Garment as Metaphor: The Paper Works of Erica Spitzer Rasmussen on Thursday, October 28 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Pillsbury Auditorium. Admission is $15. To reserve tickets, call 612.870.6323 or visit online. For more info on Erica Spitzer Rasmussen, check out her website.