The Green Dress, A Chicago Story (1980)
The Green Dress, A Chicago Story is a conceptual photo essay which was displayed in the lower lobby of the Goodman Theater and shown at the Artemisia Gallery in Chicago. The piece comprised of a portfolio of twenty-one 16 x 20 color 'C' prints of me wearing an emerald green sequined dress at significant Chicago locales including the Art Institute of Chicago, Wrigley Field, O'Hare International Airport, and the Auditorium Theatre.
The Green Dress represents a "new history" of Chicago, combining historical landmarks with symbolic and personal landmarks. The dress belonged to my mother, who purchased it in 1954. The photographs reflect the strong juxtaposition between the locations and the green dress, evoking images which are at once intriguing and surprisingly surreal.
In The Green Dress I'm the creator, but the creation goes beyond me; the dress is the object, Chicago is the subject, and I'm just a vehicle for it. The green dress represents the "spirit" of Chicago and acts as a visual narrator in all the images. During the opening at the Artemisia Gallery, a collage of Chicago music was integrated as part of the opening night.
This project was a collaboration between myself and photographer Dirk Bakker. The project was partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council and Art in Public Places, Inc.
Portfolios are in the custody of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago History Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, International Center of Photography, New York among others.
