Portfolio of Metalwear Dress Sculpture Series by Julie Peerson Carpenter. Sculpture > Installations > Commissions. Artist Representation: Karole Sessums, The Lola Agency. karole@happygolola.com.

1. julie peerson carpenter Sculpture > Installations > Commissions metalwear
represented by karole sessums / the lola agency

2. metalwear sculpture > installations > commissions
julie peerson carpenter, artist/designer
artist representation: karole sessums / the lola agency
karole@happygolola.com
601.954.5154

3. “The purpose of my
Metalwear series still stands
to illustrate the balance
between strength and
elegance that I find to be so
important in people and in
art.”
julie peerson carpenter

4. Birmingham artist, Julie Peerson Carpenter, started
building metal dresses while attending the University of
Montevallo. In 2000, she developed an ongoing project
called Metalwear, which consists of life size dresses
fabricated from scrap steel. Her works, which vary in
pattern and style and color, started as abstracted self-
biography portraiture. Over time her focus has shifted more towards
the design of the dresses. But their purpose still stands to
illustrate the balance between strength and elegance that
Julie finds to be so important in people and in art.
Process:
Julie’s process is similar to that of a seamstress. Each
dress is pieced together on a hollow steel form that
represents the artist’s shape.
She makes her own fabric by painting designs on sheet
steel. She uses hand made paper patterns in the
construction. Every piece of steel is cut, hammered, and
welded into place, one after another onto her dress form.
Each dress is cut from the form and placed on a stand.
And all of them are kept closed with hinges and latches.
The 13th piece in the Metalwear series, titled Treetop
Lollipop, is the first wearable sculpture that Julia has
built. She has made a total of 18 metal dresses. Her most
recent one was patterned after her 4 year old daughter,
Amelia.
Metalwear has been cited in the Birmingham News, Birmingham
Magazine, Black and White, Flower, Portico Magazine, Trumph
Express, and the Seattle Times.

5. Alabama State Council on the Arts
birmingham, alabama
Urban Outfitters
exhibitions / collections birmingham, alabama
Betsy Prince
birmingham, alabama
Mobile Museum of Art
mobile, alabama
Square Room Gallery
seattle, washington
Birmingham Museum of Art
birmingham, alabama
River Gallery
chattanooga, tennessee
Kentuck Gallery
tuscaloosa, alabama
Bare Hands Gallery
birmingham, alabama
Bloch Hall Gallery
birmingham, alabama
Charlotte Woodson Gallery
birmingham, alabama
Gallerie Alegria
birmingham, alabama
Maralyn Wilson Gallery
birmingham, alabama
Litebox Gallery
birmingham, alabama
Terrific New Theater
birmingham, alabama
Alabama School of Fine Arts Gallery
birmingham, alabama

6. ford
red
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

7. royal
popsicle
orange
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

8. turquoise
tangerine
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

9. pearl
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

10. dusty
apple
candy
pink
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

11. pistachio
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

12. cherry glacier
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

13. sun dried
peppermint
dimensions
bust: 38 inches
waist: 28 inches
hips: 40 inches
length from waist to hem:
28 inches

14. image detail cherry glacier

15. image
details
Pearl