The Dowsing

Using fashion as a point of departure, the work of designer and artist Anna Telcs explores the liminal space between form, fashion, presentation, and performance. Her recent work attempts to question existing perceptions about manufacturing, worth, and beauty – ultimately seeking to delve deeper into the armature of the fashion object itself and the systems and structures that contextualize and regulate it.

The work Telcs has developed for the Henry, The Dowsing 2013, is an extension of her research at the museum’s Reed Collection Study Center, comparing late 19th-century undergarment construction and tailoring techniques with contemporary layered street fashion. The Test Site features a new line of textile objects that will also be part of an outdoor event that draws inspiration from religious ritual, traditional fashion shows, and performance art. The project builds on the layering and live dressing ritual devised during Telcs’ 2012 residency at The Watermill Center in South Hampton, New York. Her work at The Watermill examined materials and hand sewing techniques, highlighting texture, silhouette, and tone.

The Dowsing 2013 will include three performances in the course of one day in the University of Washington’s Red Square. The events will focus on materiality, color, and process. The performances will also include live original music and choreographed movement. These presentations will be preceded by a series of public dialogues on the variable economies of fashion and manufacturing. After their public presentation in Red Square, Telcs’ textile objects will be returned to the Test Site for further examination and discussion.