Gauguin - "Arearea"

Instead of looking primarily at color, for this art challenge I wanted to look a little more laterally for inspiration. For this piece I mulled a long time on a few ideas presented in the Musée d'Orsay's description:

  • "where dream and reality coexist"
  • "an enchanted world, full of both harmony and melancholy"
  • Joyeusetés, an alternate name meaning 'Joyousness'

After some waffling around about how to approach the piece, I ended up boiling it all down to an overarching feeling of "dreamy".

Dreamy layers (#2/3). Light layering with an ethereal feel -- gauzy & sheer (tunic), silky (pants), and openweave (kimono cardigan). This one looks better in person because it's got all kinds of movement! It's a bit too many layers and too soft overall for me, so if I were to wear it out today I'd drop the cardigan (#3). Chose shades of green in honor of the lush landscape.

Dreamy light (#4/5). I adore wearing all white; it can have an otherworldly feel but can also seem out of place, especially in a casual setting. People definitely look again at all white. More arty layering including an old pair of pants I've got pinned for potential hemming (I think I'll go a little shorter, though) and one of the few pairs of heels remaining in my closet. Not in any way conventionally flattering but still pretty fun. I'd most likely wear it sans pants (#5) or with slim cropped jeans. Opted for a white dress in honor of the woman.

Dreamy style (#6/7). Romantic and joyous. This outfit epitomizes where I'd like my style to be right now: Modern Bohemian, with some romance, a little arty, and a little punk. Opted for light and dark versions of the same dress (I never duplicate items in different colorways, but for this dress I just had to make an exception). Am wearing the light dream version (#6) and feeling fab on a hot day; will wear the dark dream version (#7) in the near future ^^

Comments, critiques, thoughts and questions welcome!

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