“An elegant use of foliage and grace and a little piece of white cloth and oil.”
                                                                                                        ~Gertrude Stein, MORE from “Tender Buttons,” 1914

Radical, different, bold, bodacious, exciting and eclectic are just a few of the words that could be used to describe the new work of local artist, Katrina Rodabaugh. 

Inspired by the famed modernist poetry of Gertrude Stein in her book, “Tender Buttons,” the artist has collaborated with 30-plus Bay Area female artists in a performance art exhibition of handmade dresses fashioned from letterpress printed recycled fabric. 

The Dresses/Object Project installation on Friday, June 25 - hosted by Theatre Artaud’s Z Space located in San Francisco - will not only feature the outstanding “wearable art,” but also will showcase photographs of local artists and dance choreographed by Bay Area dance/artistic director, Erin Mei Ling Stuart of EmSpace Dance.

The installation promises to recreate the look and feel of a dressmaker’s studio and will serve as the “set” as dancers assume the abstract movement and stance of high fashion runway models. Collaborators on this one-of-a-kind showing include costume and fashion designers; printmakers; fiber artists; and fine artists examining, “the complex symbolism of the feminine mystic and gender inherent in a dress.” 

Rodabaugh said she hopes to inspire dialogue, interdisciplinary conversation and future creative collaborations with the show. She also will be a part of the installation during the Saturday gallery hours through July 17 where she will create one final dress. The closing reception on Sunday, July 18, will host a special poetry reading with area poets that have been inspired by the poetry of Stein. 

The opening reception for The Dresses/Object Project is from 7 to 9:30 p.m. this Friday at Z Space at Theatre Artaud, 450 Florida St. in San Francisco. The installation will be on view through July 18.

Live performances on June 25 and 26 are from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. and the closing reception with poetry readings on July 18 runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturdays. Admission is free; donations are greatly appreciated.

For more information on this Oakland artist and the upcoming installation, visit her website at www.katrinarodabaugh or www.zspace.org. To find out more about the genius of Gertrude Stein, visit www.ellensplace.net/gstein1.html or visit your neighborhood Oakland Public Library.