Kata Khakali

The opposing concepts of movement and stillness are difficult to combine in a work of art. Transcend is a mural by Cedric Douglas and Julia Roth, on the Green Street Garage, in Central Square, Cambridge, that does so beautifully. Its many colorful geometric shapes on the parameter contrast with a black-and-white still portrait of an African-American female. Vibrant colors create the feeling of movement and positivity, while the still portrait invites contemplation: a unique combination that immediately catches the eye.

Inspired by Transcend, Hurricane Dress was designed to capture this contrast between movement and stillness by evoking the natural phenomenon of the calm, still eye of a hurricane. On the top and bottom of the dress, swirling shapes, traced specifically by the map of hurricane Maria.  The shapes smoothly transition to a tight corset that is slim-fitting that represents the eye of the storm. Hurricane Dress highlights and celebrates the difference between the aspects of life directed toward chaos, and those that create peace.  Even though the two concepts of movement and stillness are the complete polar opposites and the individual dealing with these two traits might feel confused or overwhelmed, but they have the ability to combine them to form a beautiful creation. 

Annika Hardy
The Hurricane Dress: a wearable sculpture inspired by the shape and nature of a hurricane. While the top and bottom of the design are busy, layered and mobile, the center of the garment acts as the eye of the storm and stays still, calm and stiff.

Inspired by the mural Transcend, painted by Cedric Douglas and Julia Roth, the Hurricane Dress explores the sense of calm in chaos, created in the mural through the contrast of a vibrant, colorful, geometric pattern with a still, realistic black-and-white portrait of a woman's eyes. The pattern seems animated and moveable while the woman's eyes appear calm and static, with the movement and stillness playing off each other. The Hurricane Dress aims to capture this effect of stillness within a chaotic environment. Hurricanes are defined by their high winds and chaotic movement that circle around a static, calm center known as the eye.

In the wearable Hurricane Dress, the contrast between movement and stillness is made through having a flexible top and bottom of the garment with a fixed middle. This effect is achieved by having large pieces of Rowlux, a stiff material used for diffusing light, cut to resemble strong winds or severe weather on the top and bottom of the outfit that move back and forth as the wearer walks. The calm middle of the dress, the "eye of the storm," is created with a tight corset in the center of the sculpture that stays put while the rest of the piece moves around. While wearing this dress, the model may feel centered and chaotic at the same time, showing that sometimes the tension or opposition between traits can be what makes them work well together.