Dissertation in the Field of Design. MA Joanna Weckman

Opponent Prof. Hanna Suutela, University of Tampere Custos Prof. Pekka Korvenmaa

Joanna Weckman´s study "When you do something, do it to perfection"– Liisi Tandefelt as a costume designer 1958–1992 investigates the conditions – the practices, values and ideals – that have shaped the work of costume designers in recent Finnish history and the oral history concerning the issue.

The costume designer is a part of working community with its own explicit and implicit hierarchies, values and practices. This study explores the history of the costume designer´s work and the history of the female-dominated profession at the Finnish theatre through the diverse career of actor and costume designer Liisi Tandefelt. The study investigates Tandefelt´s professional identity and shaping of her costume design career in the theatre, as well as how Tandefelt tells about her career as costume designer and the costume design work. What kind of self-image and perceptions regarding costume design are constructed in the narrative? Study opens new perspectives for the history of costume design with regard to the ways the narrative images of the profession have been constructed.

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