Della Reams
Touch My Face Masks, 2020
Cotton blend fabric, digitally printed from hand painting 5.5" x 7.5" each
Remote communication is nothing new between Della Reams, MFA TX 2005, and Larry Rushing, NYC painter. They have had a long-distance partnership since 1999. Reams creates textile and dress designs based on Rushing’s paintings. Their most recent collaborative project is a small series of masks called “Touch My Face” - artwork by Larry Rushing, larryrushingart.com, digital textile design and mask-making by Della Reams, dellareams.com.
Della Reams
Sacred and Profane Dress, 2020
Cotton blend fabric, digitally printed from hand painting Ladies size 8
Larry Rushing’s fine art painting provides inspiration for my fabric and fashion designs. The Sacred is represented by the abstract angel over the heart space. The Profane is symbolized by the same motif reversed, a flame over the area of a woman’s greatest power and femininity. Devotion is communicated using the artwork of the beloved and transforming it into a dress that conveys the creativity of both partners - the male inspired by femininity and the female by love. Spirit is expressed by the abundance of handwork performed to embellish and energize the dress. Celebrating color and exploring its expression in texture, pattern, and form, this design integrates 2D textile design with 3D fashion design. A balance of old and new practices - hand painting, digital printing, draping, and sewing by hand and machine – are featured in this one-of-a-kind dress.
Della Reams
Hands with Holy Grail Dress, 2018
cotton percale fabric, digitally printed from hand painting ladies size 6
Larry Rushing’s fine art paintings inspire my textile designs. The integration of my two-dimensional designs into three-dimensional garments is my design challenge – to create an original 2-D design and form it into a unique and innovative 3-D form. Derived from parts of a painting that took three months to complete, this print was developed through dozens of Photoshop iterations. The painting was chosen because I was curious about how the series of hands that appear in it could wrap around the body in the shape of a dress. The title of the dress reflects the hands from the original painting around the chalice-shaped figure that resulted from the repeat technique of mirroring - used to evoke the painter’s surrealistic style. The irregular but symmetric tucks near the midriff are intended to manipulate the print and form while adding surface texture.
