'I do it all the time," says Ralph Rucci, left, of his delicate collages of paper, cashmere, masking tape, patent leather or misty silk screen prints on chiffon.
Framed in the Serge Sorokko gallery in San Francisco until June 26, Rucci's powerful strokes of oily black paint or tiny gilt-embossed pictures are sold as works of art.
In this first gallery exhibition from the American couturier, he can trace the origins of a shadowy, sculpted bust or the memory of working at night in the studio, reducing inspiration to its essence. Rucci says of his works on paper: "I use this as a vehicle for my unconscious in making clothes."
Rucci is passing up on showing during Paris couture next month, planning to put his work on the runway during the New York season in September. But, he says: "I'll be back."
