I have always agreed that “you are what you eat” and that “fish is brain food.” Now, after submersing myself in the material for the latest show at the Katonah Museum of Art I truly believe that “you are what you wear.”

When I heard the new show at The Katonah Museum was going to be about “Dress Codes” - I quickly thought - that will be easy - I wore uniforms to school for 12 years! I, unlike my many counterparts that attended Catholic Schools, LOVED my uniforms. I felt that it showed purpose, school spirit, and I could obsess about my studies rather than what I was going to wear the next day. Since then perhaps I have obsessed about clothes but that came from a Mother that went to The New York School of Needle Arts - (later renamed FIT) - and we used to obsess together over Vogue patterns and fabric finds!

During my college days, when I thought I was wearing just jeans and sweaters, a roommate of mine declared that I always dressed in costumes. Guess it must have been the matching hair ribbons and Pappagallo shoes! Later as I presented my food products to country clubs, fine restaurants or resorts, I found that it served me well to dress as their top clientele, even if it meant a quick change from my smokehouse clothes.

Clothing does not only protect us, make us modest and acceptable but also presents our view of ourselves to the world. Clothing also has always declared gender, age, cultural identity, and class differences.

Pushing this envelope we see 36 artists that hail from 14 countries and work from the 1990s expressing themselves in many mediums: Power Ranger cards, embroidered PVC, knitted Mylar, discarded clothing and shoes, feathers and even pennies and dollar bills.

This show is NOT about fashion. Their themes are: Moods and Memories, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, Communities, International & Political Topics, Migration and Globalism, War, Terrorism and Natural Disasters.

We see contemporary concerns. Is there really a “Happily Ever After” as we view the caged and exploded Barbie Wedding Dress by E.V. Day - “Bridal Supernova” (2006)? How best does a woman in the Military protect their pregnancy but with a lucite dome over a camouflage maternity dress by Mimi Smith (2004). To die for? I bet the women that were on that plane that landed in the Hudson wish they had Yael Mer’s “Evacuation Dress” (2006) which she designed after Hurricane Katrina. Just blow and go! I think they should sell it at the Airports! Wang Jin and Cat Chow explore the transformation of women in Chinese Culture. Maureen Connor explores anorexia in “Thinner Than You” (1990) and the saying “You can never be too rich or too thin” comes to mind. The Black Urban Male takes refuge and racial anonymity in the “Soundsuits” of Nick Cave and “The Ghettobird Tunics” of Sandford Biggers. There is even a ruse played upon Walmart once again as when a young woman took up residence there in “Where the Heart Is.”

Each of the 36 pieces are fascinating in their execution and relevance to society. How many of these pieces could we wear or do we wear in some “fashion” in our daily lives…The Katonah Museum has once again outdone themselves!

For further information on this exhibit plus the others that are currently there in the additional galleries and outdoor sculpture garden, plus hours and admission, go to their website KatonahMuseum.org.

Tours are given at 2:30 each day the Museum is open. I hope to see you there!

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom