Wearer-Wanderers

You may want to rub your eyes and make sure you’re not hallucinating but keep them open to spot wearer-wanderers at dusk in Bettina’s black and white sculptural capes made from men’s suits and women’s lingerie. The desert is the perfect backdrop for a surreal dress code—think Mad Max meets Groucho Marx meets Madonna’s underwear drawer.

“I created 10 soft sculptures out of men’s clothing, hotel towels, and lingerie. The contrast of materials made each stand out all the more and lent to the overall depth of each composition. They were activated to the third dimension by bendable cords sewn around the circumference.

My intention: I wanted to make these fabric abstractions come alive even further by having them worn. I also wanted the black and white constructions to be exaggerated against the desert landscape. The sand, sky and serene natural backdrops became the third and most powerful contrast. I sent out an invitation to visitors of HDTS to meet in the morning before they set out to explore the other artists’ desert installations and happenings. It created a sense of play and also gave these works of mine ‘legs,’ literally.

As I explored the other offerings that day, I was delighted to see the ‘wearers’ out and about charging their route with unexpected visual punch. It was a joyous experience for everyone who participated. It felt like a collaboration and a sprawling moving piece of art. It also underscored the overall feel created by the route HDTS invents. It is a roving community of art lovers seeking surprises in nature - a true outside-the-box experience.”