Really, who DOESN'T want rhinestone cat's eye glasses?

This piece is called "Remember Kids, Closets are for Hangers"- It owes equal parts to Bruce Springsteen, Dame Edna, and that kid on "Glee".

I'm not sure what started me on my fascination with rhinestone cat's eye glasses... I know that I first found a little tiny pair down in San Francisco at the gift center (this was in the days before I knew that every major city has a wholesale district where you can go and buy unbelievably tacky costume jewelry in bulk). As soon as I incorporated the glasses into a piece, I knew everything had changed. Silly, flashy, extravagant and somewhat conservative at the same time, they just made me HAPPY!


The image I get from them is one of a secret life, a person with a wild side just waiting to cut loose... the "Library Lady" after hours. A great big Australian dude can put them on and suddenly he's DAME EDNA! I don't know how... they must possess some magical properties.Not to create a different person so much as to allow the wearer to accept a part of themselves that's been waiting to shine.

I think we as a species hide too much. I have a dear friend who's 13 and I see her struggle with figuring out how to express herself. The world can just stomp on your heart in the cruelest ways. It's hard. Recently she saw me wearing my canary yellow seersucker jacket over a bright green hawaiian shirt and she was like "How do you do that? You just have such... confidence." I don't know if it's confidence. it's more like a choice... to enjoy the moment. To put on something wild and let it change me for a bit. Really, the worst thing that could have happened was that the terrorists would have looked for a victim and shot me first since since they couldn't take their eyes off of me! It made for a memorable trip.

So take it from a straight guy who discovered rhinestones in his 30's, next time your in the vintage store and you see a pair of funky librarian glasses, try them on. You'll be glad you did


"Remember, Kids, Closets are for Hangers" is available in my Etsy store.

Comments

  1. CarolynApril 6, 2010 at 1:11 PM

    Closets might be for hangers, but there should be NO WIRE HANGERS! This piece cracks me up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 16, 2010 at 12:56 PM

    I have always had this crazy idea in my head we should have the military uniforms redesigned as well as all the tanks etc...decorated perhaps like floats in a parade. I would nominate your work to receive the contract and then we would have no more victims, only hysterical laughter!

    Cheryl, the giggling one at your last show who bought "Let me show you my tiny car"

    ReplyDelete

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