Armor: Wearable Stained Glass
Updated: Sep 2
Friday, September 4th from 5:00-8:00 pm
Saturday, September 5th from 12:00-8:00 pm
Address: 3745 Foundry Way, Suite 149, St. Louis, MO 63110
by Gale Schlegl
This two-day pop-up event invites the community to engage directly with wearable sculptures through a collaborative try-on experience.
Sponsored by Regional Art Commission and Mid-America Arts Alliance
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Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to visit.
Note: All artwork can be touched, including hanging wall pieces, but please be kind.
This invitation extends to both the artwork displayed on the walls and the stained glass pieces arranged on the tables.
If you are interested in trying on the stained glass accessories or participating in photographs, please speak with an individual wearing a black-and-white shirt labeled 'Armor: Wearable Stained Glass.' They will review a few guidelines with you and provide a release form for photographs that may be included online or in future exhibitions.
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Artist Statement
After extensive research into the connections between memory and the body, I chose to approach this work from a place of joy, viewing it as an intentional act of healing and celebratory adornment of bodies in all their forms.
The stained glass works presented in Armor: Wearable Stained Glass are rooted in a desire to honor the body. I prioritize recycled materials including glass and often incorporate previous artworks as raw material. For example, I repurposed a former sculpture that once included a burnt wedding dress to create the skin-like glass and fabric harness on display. A large curio cabinet engraved from my childhood home was altered to house materials for the event.
The history of stained glass is both religious and spiritual, as glass is both a window and barrier to what lies underneath. Historically, fabric and glass have rarely been combined, mainly because solder binds glass together but repels fabric. Much of the last year of material exploration has focused on overcoming this challenge and finding ways to connect these two materials, including machine-sewing copper mesh and using plumbing solder and resin as glue.
My decision to invite interaction is informed by nearly four years of experience as a museum monitor, where I often found myself reminding visitors not to touch the artwork. This time as a monitor led me to reflect on what compels people to engage with art through touch.
Physical engagement with art requires vulnerability from both the participant and the artist. While this interaction carries inherent risks, as the work may change or be damaged, and glass is also a sharp and delicate material for participants, I believe that the experience itself is integral to the art. The video displayed on the interactive wall offers a glimpse into my studio throughout the creation process.
Fashion, wearable sculpture, and the joy I hold in my identity as a transgender and intersex man were significant sources of inspiration for this project. In considering wearable sculpture, I aimed to create work that is not limited to a single body type. Clothing should adapt to the individual, so I focused on designing androgynous accessories and adjustable clothing items.
As part of this exhibition, I invite participants to be photographed and documented during the two-day community try-on. These images and videos will become an integral part of the ongoing work.
Thank you for being present and engaging with the work.
I believe that creation is a communal process.
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ARTWORK ON DISPLAY
1) Video: “As-is; footage from my home studio.”
Epilepsy warning: This video contains flashing and at times rapidly changing visuals that may be sensitive to viewers with epilepsy.
2) Painting of stained-glass window: “If you are watching”
3) Stained-glass bulletproof vest: “Peace is Without Pain”
4) Glass, copper, and leather belt buckles: “Buckle In I, II, III, IV, and V”
5) Glass sculpture hand-engraved with original poetry. Curio cabinet from my childhood home: “The quality of being open to public scrutiny.”
6) Leather, copper, and glass wallet. Hand engraved with passport imagery: “Fraudulent Identification.”
7) Boot covers, made from welding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): “Wearing Protection.”
8) Purse made in the form of a house. Melted metal, glass, copper, and dust from historical St. Louis red brick: “Carry me home.”
9) Copper, melted metal, cashmere, and wire purse: “Scorched earth.”
10) Leather jacket with stained-glass and sewn copper window back: “My back is turned.”
11) A painting made with copper, acrylic, resin, and pen: “An Act of Self-Surveillance I.”
12) Hanging metal plate from my family’s kitchen cabinet with added copper, paper, resin, and acrylic paint: “My flesh begs you to see him.”
13) A painting made with glass, copper, acrylic, and resin: “To protect my identity, I added a privacy box.”
14) A painting made with copper, acrylic, resin, and pen: “An Act of Self-Surveillance II.”
15) A painting made with copper, acrylic, resin, and pen: “Does a soul have/matter.”
16) Sharp copper squares, resin, highlighters, and acrylic paint. Original doodle was made at work while looking at a blank computer screen: “Self-portrait of a break.”
17) Custom shoes: from 2013-2026
18) Shorts: Hand-drawn and printed
19) Shirt: Hand-drawn and printed
20) Journal: Hand-painted, found items
21) Bible: My childhood bible from 2000-2009, poem attached: “The Promise of a Bear”