“When fashion and photography collide, beauty, intrigue and storytelling become as interwoven as the fabrics themselves.”
Those are the words of Tamara Boxx, fashion editor of èBella magazine, who is also serving a dual role as curator and photographer for the exhibit, “Flash: 50 Years of Fashion,” opening March 9 at Marco Island Center for the Arts.
“I chose three additional professional photographers, each talented in their own right, to join me in this collaborative project,” Boxx says. “I asked that they blend their skills and create this unique fashion exhibit showcasing 50 years of couture. The synergy of our combined genius created an unconventional and powerful gallery exhibit — an emotional and thought-provoking way to experience eras of fashion and the associated story of each piece simultaneously.”
The planning of “Flash: 50 Years of Fashion” began a year ago at the request of Marco Island Center for the Arts Executive Director Hyla Crane. Since then, Boxx has considered every artistic intricacy, from how fabrics drape a model to color composition; from lighting for depth and angular highlights to the importance of photographic placement. She hopes her efforts culminate in an exhibit that stirs the emotions of viewers in March and April.
Boxx and the team of Ursula and Tim Gibbons created photographs depicting fashion trends from the 1980s to today. The team is completed by Sandy Windham, whose photographic work captures the spirit of the 1970s.
“We hope people will feel, as well as see, clothing and trends through a slightly different lens,” Boxx says. “The intricacies of fashion create autonomic emotion, even before thought has a chance to take hold. In this exhibit, observers can experience the visual and emotional aspects of fashion while tying in the historical depth of each piece into the process. That picture, a frozen moment of a particular decade, is the complex beauty of artistic photography.”