Lesley Dill: Beautiful Dirt – Ballgowns of Lightness & Dark
Installation views from Lesley Dill: Beautiful Dirt – Ballgowns of Lightness & Dark, October 2014 exhibition at Arthur Roger Gallery
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Lesley Dill: Beautiful Dirt – Ballgowns of Lightness & Dark
Beautiful Dirt: Ballgowns of Lightness and Dark is Lesley Dill’s ninth exhibition with the gallery and was inspired by the ballroom culture of New Orleans and the adornment of the body. Featured are nine gowned figures centered by a cascading chandelier. The figures range in size from a tabletop sculpture to 7 feet tall, and are constructed of billowing fabric adorned with embroidered letters, flowing skirts of hand-cut copper, or hundreds of pieces of metal foil and feathers. Some of the figures have dramatic head embellishments or collars and others are donned with small, bird-like heads, paying homage to surrealist Max Ernst.