Comments on: Who’s that girl? Part 1: Mannequin preparation http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/ The IMA blog is a space to discuss everything related to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Fri, 24 May 2013 23:34:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Fred Malone http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-361824 Fred Malone Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:45:03 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-361824 I am an old (75) Retired Military man who is just getting into the operation of a Veterans Museum which we are trying to establish in Greenwood,S.C. We have acquired several manniquins (Male) from Pennys and Belks to display Uniforms on, but have heard from other like museums that the maniquins may give off fumes from the plastic, which will/may damage the uniforms over a period of time. Can you give us any guidance on this matter?? Fred W. Malone, CMC, USN, Retired

]]> By: Petra http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-78655 Petra Thu, 27 May 2010 15:23:05 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-78655 Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for your comment. We appreciate the feedback and I am glad to learn you enjoyed viewing our latest exhibition, Body Unbound.
However, I would like to assure you that no bias is in place in regard to the display of historical garments at the IMA. The mannequins we use to display historical pieces are Kyoto mannequins (to read more about them: http://www.kci.or.jp/exhibitions/mannequin_e.html). These mannequins are used by virtually every major museum who displays historical dress in the world and were specially designed by the The Kyoto Costume Institute and The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for this purpose. The silhouettes of fashion changed dramatically from the 1700s through the turn of the 20th century. It is for this reason that we use Kyoto mannequins. They are designed with no waists so we can adjust the waistline to fit each individual garment, many measuring around 16 inches; as well as providing us the ability to adjust the stance. For instance, the aesthetic of the early 1900s is known as the s-shaped silhouette and features what we call a mono-bosom. The stance for the s-shaped silhouette is unnatural and required extensive corsetry to achieve. No matter what kind of adjustments we could make to conventional 20th century mannequins, we would never be able to achieve this, or any of the early silhouettes.
Lastly and most importantly, our primary concern is the safety and preservation of our objects, it is therefore imperative that we display them on the most appropriate forms.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-77367 anonymous Sun, 16 May 2010 14:30:50 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-77367 I’m glad you selected natural skin tones for the mannequins in this exhibit, and I hope you continue this in future exhibitions. I think it does violence to a garment to treat it as an abstraction independent from the body that wears it. While it may be desireable to separate the identity of a garment from the identity of any particular person, I think its important to select mannequins that are as generally human as possible and I appreciate the improvement that this exhibition represents. This leads to another point. I have noticed in past exhibitions that the IMA tends to select more lifelike mannequins for more recent garments, and that older period garments are displayed on alien-looking mannequins with awkward and unrealistic contours. I find these less- lifelike mannequins to be detremental to the appreciation of the garments they support, and I wonder if some sort of bias is at play that leads the IMA to display period garments on hideous mannequins. Perhaps the widespread use of corsets in the past makes it difficult to find mannequins that can fit period garments, but if the IMA is willing to modify mannequins for the present show, I would hope that they could do so for future displays of period garments. It would bring the periods represented to life more fully, and would better convey the intended aesthetic affect of the garments, to see them displayed on mannequins with more human contours and flesh tones.

]]> By: Murph http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-69084 Murph Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:08:11 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-69084 Petra,
OMG! The world hasn’t a clue and YOUR blog is MOST amazing! Like a show, the audience just thinks you put some clothes on a body and Voilla!
Funny thing is it’s also kinda like where my body has been and now with the ol’ spine and osteo P, I figure, by the time I’m 70 my bust will be nearer to my waist and all my chances of becoming a PlayBoy Bunny will have passed me up as ol’ Hugh will probably be gone……………….
C’est la vie Mon Cheri!
Can’t wait for 2nd installment………….
m

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-69029 Anonymous Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:43:19 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-69029 What a fun blog! I love the last picture of all the ladies standing around gassing.

=)

]]> By: Gabrielle http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-69015 Gabrielle Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:56:41 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-69015 Well done, P! You have a really pleasant writing style; it’s easy for me to hear the passion in your voice as I read this. Can’t wait to see the exhibition.

]]> By: Petra http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-69012 Petra Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:40:36 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-69012 Hi Pam,

Thank you for your comment. I have a great job, and feel very lucky.

]]> By: Pam http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2010/03/15/who%e2%80%99s-that-girl-part-1-mannequin-preparation/comment-page-1/#comment-68896 Pam Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:43:32 +0000 http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/?p=11315#comment-68896 It’s nice job you have. It must be fun.

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