Prominent Canberra-based artist Anna Eggert asks this question in her exhibition, Pure Fabrication - a sculptural collection of flowing, life-size evening dresses constructed from stainless steel mesh.

Pure Fabrication, will be exhibited at Noosa Regional Gallery 8 June – 8 July, with an artist talk on Sunday 17 June at 11am.

According to artist Anna Eggert, a large part of being a young woman involves being looked at, particularly when she becomes a bride. In order to achieve that attention, both the bride and her female guests need to choose their clothing to ensure she will shine. In Eggert's work the wedding party becomes a spectacle and its members are 'enmeshed' in a vital relationship to each other.

The shape of the female body is clearly visible in Eggert's sculpture. Gentle ripples and curves worked in the stainless steel mesh betray the intricacies of anatomy. But the body itself is strangely absent inside the hardened dress, creating a ghost-like effect.

"The mesh, the rivets and construction methods are clearly visible. Nothing is hidden," Eggert explains. "The light, colour and shimmer of the steel are entangled with the apprehension of the female body."

Eggert continues, "The literal absence of that body draws attention to the materials and the making – the pure fabrication."

"The weight and volume of the physical presence of the work create a permeable space that invites the eye to linger and to enquire," Eggert explains.

Born in Croatia, Anna Eggert completed her studies in Australia and has gone onto exhibit throughout Australia. A winner of countless prizes and awards, her work is sought after by art collectors and is held in many public and private collections both in Australia and internationally. Local architects, Bark Design proudly support Pure Fabrication. What are the forces that give shape to the female body?