Statement:

“The clothes do not make the man,” a southern idiom I have heard my entire life, is true. Clothes do not make the man, especially if he is wearing a dress. Individuals have the right to be exactly that: individual. I am inspired by gender-bending and non-binary forms. I use eye catching, glittery material because in comparison to other things, it creates spectacle. The fact that I no longer desire to “fit in” has challenged my artwork to seek its own truth and highlights my own individualism. My collection is inspired by the counterculture scene of the Drag Balls of the mid to late 1980’s in New York. Drag culture celebrates race, gender, and sexual orientation. I also celebrate these themes in my work through exaggeration, drama, and sequins. Because really, it comes down to this - if you don’t go home with glitter on your ass, you went home too early.

Bio:

Skip Chipps is a Ceramics Senior. Having been the square peg trying to fit into a round hole for most of his life, Skip now allows his uniqueness to shine even in the darkest of places. Like a disco ball, his artwork reflects the many sides of his personality and life. Losing his mother at 7 years old and coming out at the age of 31 have helped his artwork to exaggerate the differences between us all and fill the world with just a little more glitter.