American Beverly Semmes (b. 1958) is best known for her monumental abstractions of dresses. Made of fabric the over size dresses usually hang on the wall and spill down on the floor in large pools of feminine fabrics. She transforms women' s clothing in to allusive metaphors for the female body, and the clothing is always somehow impossible to wear. The sleeves are too long, and the decorative details are exaggerated. Draperies cover up all of the floor and the fabrics are sophisticated, but the dresses remain minimalistic. At the same time Semmes' work has a strong effect on our imagination. The landscapes of floating garment make us imagine dancing across the floors, or leaving our clothes on the floor while undressing. Along her fabric experiments Semmes has also made ceramic sculptures.
