A Study on Fashion Design Applied from Color-Field Abstract of Matk Rothko: Focusing on Needle-Punching Felt Technique

Fashion needs to be understood as practicality and creative behavior and various movements of paintings act as inspirations of original design for fashion designers. This study seeks to find sources of fashion designs in the works of Mark Rothko who is in the center of color-field abstract. Color-field of Rothko provides infinite inspirations as colors are identically treated as shapes and lighting and textures are all included on top of it. In this study, the purpose is to create color focused artistic fashion design by exploring the possibility of expression with the colors of Rothko as the main motive. The study method is as follows. First, the concept and significance of color-field abstract are researched through documented data. Works of Rothko is divided into three periods according to their characteristics. The background of the formation of color-field abstract of Rothko is understood by analyzing the trends of the works in each period. Second, twenty representative works from 1949 to 1969 are selected and analyzed in formative components of color, shape and textures in order to more accurately understand shape of colors, brilliance, simplicity that appear in the mature color-field abstract of Rothko. Third, preexisting methods of color-field of paintings developed into motives of clothing are studied focusing on the collections from 1997 to 2006. Examples of applications of color-field images in modern fashion designs are analyzed. Fourth, motives are selected based on general characteristics of color-field abstract of Rothko and the results of the formative analysis. Clothing is produced that expresses the colors of the paintings of Rothko more effectively. As the results of the study, restrained shapes and textures and various forms of color combinations shown in color-field abstract of Rothko provided deep inspirations on material composition and color planning for fashion design focused on colors. Additionally, needle-punching technique using wool for the production technique enabled relief texture expressions of materials by colors and effective applications of soft and warm atmosphere of color-field abstract of Rothko on clothing. Especially, the ideology of color-field abstract of Rothko of shaping of colors could be expressed and the direction of the development of motives could be presented at the same time by specifically applying color combination method using horizontal division of atypical color-field from the formative characteristics of color-field abstract of Rothko.