Ginger Owen-Murakami
History Dress #1

ArtistAmerican, born 1971
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • History Dress #1
  • from the series Identity Clothing
Date2007–08
PlaceUnited States
MediumCyanotype, paper, and thread
DimensionsOverall: 40 × 24 × 14 in. (101.6 × 61 × 35.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Joan Morgenstern in honor of Caroline Daily
Object number2008.834
Not on view

Explore Further

Department
Photography
Description

Identity Clothing are
articles of clothing fashioned from book pages, embellished with cyanotype
images,” writes photographer Ginger Owen-Murakami. The dress shown here, for
example, is made from pages of the book Heloise
Around the House
.

The rich blue color
of a cyanotype results from contact printing a negative to a surface coated
with potassium ferricyanide in ultraviolet light. The process is also the basis
for the classic blue-print used by architects and builders. “The objects [I
create] act as lessons of feminine and domestic practice. Like an
archaeologist, collecting artifacts and theorizing historical stories . . .
[my] images reference concepts linked to the blueprint of identity.”


ProvenanceThe artist, Richland, Michigan; purchased by MFAH, 2008.
Exhibition HistoryExhibited: "Photo Forum 2008," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Lower Brown Corridor, September 24, 2008 - January 12, 2009.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Pocketbook
Unknown English
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95.486
Dress
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Ensemble
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2000.499.A,.B
Dress
Zoë Fontana
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2000.763
Day Dress
Unknown American
1920–1929
Silk, lace, metallic thread, cloth flowers, and tulle
96.1783
Scarf
Unknown Greek
Late 19th–early 20th century
Linen with silk embroidery
35.19
Hat
DuBarry
1950–1959
Velour felt, grosgrain ribbon, and bugle beads
96.962
Dress
Thea Porter
c. 1968–1970
Printed organdy, metallic thread, mirrors, and velveteen
91.1372.A,.B
Pair of Shoes
Dal Co'
1997
Silk satin, nylon lace, silk satin ribbon, and leather
2000.518.A,.B
Evening Dress, Belt, and Stole
Hubert de Givenchy
1985
Organza, beads, sequins, raffia, and silk thread
97.511.A-.C
Dress and Sash
Unknown American
c. 1905–1910
Cotton and lace trim
91.1356.A,.B
Ensemble
Unknown Greek
19th century
Cotton, wool, polychrome silk, and metallic thread
35.9.1-.6