The White Mystery (2001??) was another attempt at using fashion and my obsession with it to communicate with the world. This dress was created using a lace backing garment that was reconstructed during production, and “white mystery”-flavored Airheads candies. The candy was fixed to the backing using appliqué glue and a lot of patience. Instead of doing the smart thing, and this is kind of my M.O., I did not look on the internet for candy but instead went to every Plaid Pantry convenience store (those locations were actually found using the internet!) in the greater Portland, Oregon area and bought up all the white Airheads I could get my hands on. Of course I was asked what I was doing and got a lot of odd looks.
This project was made specifically for a Halloween party but of course it contains meaning in retrospect. Evidence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is obvious. The grid, something I cannot escape in my work, comes into play as well. At the party, folks were invited to lick the dress which created quite a stir as some thought it was made of soap and others just didn’t know what to think. After the party, there was a photograph that surfaced on the internet of a gentleman dressed as the Anglo-Jesus licking my backside.
This garment altered my time in it: failure again! I could not sit down, nor could I use the restroom. Somewhere in the mess of my studio there is video documentation of me wearing the dress and submerging myself in a hot bath which was the best end to a garment that had become sticky from licks and spilt beer.