EDELWEISS

Immediately after I become acquainted with a new body of work, I begin seeing relationships between the work and things in my wardrobe.

For example, I've owned this dress for some time, but suddenly I couldn't look at it without seeing the collage works of German video artist Marcel Odenbach (b. 1953), whose work I recently discovered via the MoMA.

Odenbach's background in art history, architecture, and semiotics has provisioned him a wide lens through which to view the concept of identity. Odenbach uses symbolism, like the edelweiss depicted above, to add multiple levels of meaning to his work.

Central to Odenbach's work is the subject of German national identity, as complicated by the Holocaust, and how this is reflected in the life of the contemporary individual.

Though video installations form the basis of his work, Odenbach often accompanies these works with related performances, drawings, and collages, pictured here, which are reminiscent of Cubist an Dadaist collages.

By using a multimedia approach, Odenbach is able to address similar issues from a multitude of angles. Click below to watch a lovely short video in which Odenbach discusses the above work, You Can't See the Forest for the Trees.

If you can't see the screen, click here to watch the video.

The multiple black and white prints that make up this dress have a sort of collage effect that resembles Odenbach's works, and the little floral print is reminiscent of edelweiss.

I'm wearing a Walter dress, Madewell necklaces, Rebecca Minkoff purse, and Halston Heritage espadrilles.

Thank you to Lydia for the One Lovely Blog award and to Allie for mentioning me in her Inspiration post!

Also, I was featured along with some other stylish ladies in What I Wore's Rainy Day Challenge. Check it out here!

[Odenbach images from moma.org, flickr.com, nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com, and katiephoto.tumblr.com, respectively. Video from moma.org.]