The Israeli textile and illustration designer Reouth Erez, who is based in Tel Aviv, has a passion for combining literature, philosophy and art, along with a practical design vision. This creative combination is clearly seen in Reouth's Ekphrasis project.
Ekphrasis or ecphrasis, comes from the Greek for the description of a work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, often used in the adjectival form ekphrastic is a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or imagined. In ancient times, it referred to a description of any thing, person, or experience. The work comes from the Greek 'ek' and 'phrasis', 'out' and 'speak' respectively, and the verb 'ekphrazein' "to proclaim or call an inanimate object by name."
In her Ekphrasis textile project Reouth wanted to actually 'revive' classical texts (poetry) from different places and times (eg: Edgar Allen Poe, Pushkin, the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai).
The common denominator between the songs is the subject of man and his urges. The written texts are very visual/sensory - the prints she has created speak the words of the poem as a source of inspiration, or texts, not just a description of words.
The choice to create clothing comes from the desire to expose the audience to those who will be tempted by a "desirable object" as it were.
Each garment print is made from a particular poem. Each piece is accompanied by a pocket booklet with lyrics and other illustrations.
The person purchasing the item of clothing acquires a booklet. They can choose to be exposed to the ministers and be intrigued, and of course, to create a personal library for them. The intention is to operate the format of a rotating capsule collection.
Practical description of the project: Ekphrasis is a fashion and poetry brand. Five printed outfits and supplementary items - scarves, t-shirts, and poetry booklets.
Materials: cotton, velvet, silk, chiffon, faux leather, foil, flock.
Technique: manual drawing, digital drawing, digital printing, screen printing.
