exhibition

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, at the Victoria and Albert Museum

September 2, 2022 by Intern

Masculine fashion, what does it look like to you? Menswear has evolved and changed over the years as society has developed along with international influence and the greater understanding of what masculinity means to us as individuals and designers. The Victoria and Albert Museum has masterfully curated this exhibition which guides you from the early European menswear, heavily influenced by the idealized chiseled Greek and roman gods, through to the French revolution and its influence on fashion, and then finally finishing in contemporary fashion and how designer’s look to challenge concepts and dissolve the boundaries of menswear.

This in depth exhibition really describes and allows you to understand the why’s and the how’s of menswear, it provides an abundance of information to really allow for you see the links between the period the clothes were worn and what the colours, styles, fabrics and connotations meant to the men as well as society. It gives you the information you thought you already knew, but allows you to see how general life influenced fashion and hopes to influence the public on how menswear is extremely characterful, and a constantly changing industry.

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, at the Victoria and Albert Museum London Hand Embroidery — Giorgio Armani 1994 – Cotton, Silk, Linen

The first room is full of many different topics. With one side showing 18th century under garments and an impressive Armani suit, and the other side overcoming dysphoria. Giorgio Armani’s approach to menswear derived from his respect and appreciation for the male figure – he stripped out the internal structure and let the fabric drape, aiming to reduce rigidity in the look and soften menswear.

For his from his spring summer collection 1996, Jean-Paul Gaultier printed images of clothes onto garments. However, this jacket on show displayed a male torso, a trend we are beginning to see more of in fashion recently.

The exhibition also addressed ‘man scaping’ and ‘body forming’, which is the use of elasticated fabrics to change the body’s form. Spanks, a company originally founded for women’s wear hosiery expanded in 2010 into menswear and allowed for diversity on the high street.

The history of the Jockstrap was also covered – how it was originally designed for cyclist’s and as the modern boxer briefs became tighter, the need for the jockstrap disappeared yet it still holds an erotic currency. Through visiting this exhibition we also learnt that GC2B was the first trans-owned company who produced binders; gender-affirming undergarments worn to flatten the chest which are used by a wide spectrum of transgender men and transmasculine, non-binary people.

The stereotypical ‘masculine’ body form of the greek god’s was adressed with towering sculptures of the male form on display, with reference to Hercules who is the archetype of strength and bravery. He is often depicted fighting or armed, yet the most famous portrayal of him shows him at rest, hinting at his emotions as well as showing his exaggerated physique. I find this quite interesting and telling of how the industry is growing along with the understanding and allowing of men’s emotional feelings, which is increasingly being shown in fashion.

Designers Virgil Abloh for Off-White, JW Anderson and Ludovic de Saint Sernin recreated the classical depictions of ‘The Three Graces’. For this they used sheer fabrics like organza and taffeta which are usually associated with womenswear, encouraging gender neutrality as a reality, not a trend.

Menswear for many centuries was flamboyant, colourful and full of flounce and lace to show wealth, power and status. Those who could afford to bring dyes over from America, Asia and Africa would want to show that they could, and so would wear the bright colours these dyes created. The colour pink, with rich hue’s of magenta was a sign of money, not of gender identity which it is seen as today. Lace and ribbons were also a highly common element of a man’s look, especially in the French courts. An English gentleman John Evelyn commented ‘that one youth had as much ribbon on him as would have plundered six shops… all his body was dres’t like a may pole’ – but now when we see a man dressed in bright colours or with added detail of delicate lace around the trim, we think it is a modern twist of the original straight forward men’s wear, how wrong could we be.

The ‘classical’ monochrome sleek men’s look we think of today started in Europe after rapid change as consequence of the French revolution 1789-99. Lavish Textiles and ornamentation still featured on womenswear, while the spirit of rationality reshaped menswear into a more practical form as men started to adopt a more practical and reserved attire. The industrialisation of cities like London and Paris saw the increase of soberly and uniformly dressed men, black became the new ‘trendy’ colour.

Tailors looked to exploit this by using one colour that allowed for emphasis on sculpting the human form and adding subtle detail, creating the new modern uniform of the men’s suit which was accessible for all. This monochromatic dress suit is the epitome of masculine fashion, however contemporary designers are looking at how to combine masculine and feminine styles together, a very exciting concept!

Within this exhibition there is so much more to unwrap and discover. If you have found this blog has interested you in learning more about modern menswear as well as the history of men’s fashion, we would highly recommend you take a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see it for yourself!

Thank you to the Victoria and Albert Museum for such a great exhibition. Finishing November 2022.

Words by Amelia Vance.

Drawn & Formed Exhibition

August 5, 2022 by Intern

The Goldsmith’s Centre’s Drawn + Formed exhibition; in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers

This exhibition explores the history and contemporary uses of hand-drawn wire in embroidery, jewellery and silversmithing. London was first introduced to gold and silver wire drawing by craftsmen from Europe around the 15th century, however, there is reference to combining metal wire with textiles as far back as the writing of the bible.

Wire drawing is the process of hand making wire for jewellery and silversmithing, using a draw bench at room temperature. The draw bench reduces the thickness of the metal by forcing it through a series of draw plates, although today metal thread is most commonly mass manufactured using moulds. The resulting wire is polished and coated with a precious metal, after which the wire can be drawn and reduced to a tenth of the size of a human hair!

This necklace by Teri Howes (Image 1) was inspired by the double helix structure of DNA. The use of contrasting gold and grey/black filaments highlights the helical structure more obviously. Howes uses crochet to create her jewellery pieces, an unlikely technique when using wire, but very effective.

Drawn & Formed Exhibition London Hand Embroidery — Image 1: DNA Necklace by Teri Howes – 18ct gold, fine silver, oxidised fine silver, grey diamonds, black diamonds | Photo taken by Cadi Williams

This display case (Image 2) was almost hidden in plain sight as you entered the exhibition and it was only when I returned to the entrance that I noticed the familiar items from the exhibition advert. They were smaller than I expected but this made the intricacy even more impressive.

I can see why the curators chose the stunning Tiger by Laura Baverstock to promote the exhibition; I noticed I wasn’t the only one admiring it whilst there. The Lenticular Brooches by Andrew Lam were packed with scale-like beads, appearing like textured fur from afar.

This goldwork design titled Morphosis by artist Annalisa Middleton (Image 3) immediately caught my eye due to the striking contrast of bright colours against the shimmering gold. This has to be my favourite piece from the exhibition. Middleton took inspiration from cellular biology and marine life and combined this with her interest in futuristic technologies to create this fantastical, organic, data capsule. The artist describes the design as a ‘portal’ for the viewer to be immersed in her world. From a biological perspective you could interpret the main feature of the design as a virus or a cell filled with a variety of organelles.

Image 4 shows embroidery in a more unusual frame in the form of a used alarm clock. Pankhurst started her alarm clock series with Lockdown O’Clock, an alarm clock with an embroidered face and great feathery wings, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This most recent addition to the alarm clock series was inspired by nature and growth, something that many appreciated more throughout lockdown.

Another personal favourite was this rose gold, three-dimensional piece titled Embrace by Naomi Aindow (Images 5 & 6). I kept coming back to this display and would notice extra details every time. This body adornment piece is part of Aindow’s Spores of Life collection inspired by the intricate details of lichen and moss. The focus of this shoulder piece is enhancing the scale of these details through textured hand stitching and beading. I particularly like the contrast between the smooth, shiny, glass beads and the soft, comfortable fields of french knots. The hand embroidered forms remind me of the diverse species seen in coral reef photography.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to The Goldsmith’s Centre and would highly recommend it to anyone else interested in goldwork, silversmithing and body adornment. My favourite design was easily the goldwork Morphosis piece by Annalisa Middleton, due to its biological context and personal connection to the artist. The exhibition has inspired me to be more adventurous and explore more obscure materials and processes in my practice.

Written by Cadi Williams

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Exhibition details:

The Goldsmith’s Centre, 42 Britton Street, London EC1M 5AD

Free admission

16 June 2022 – 15 September 2022, 9am – 6pm

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissme’

April 1, 2022 by Intern

This exhibition ‘Thierry Mugler : Couturissime’ is on at the Musée des arts Decoratifs, Paris. A wonderful exhibition to go and see should you be in Paris.

The exhibition focuses around the work and life of Thierry Mugler (1948-2022). Known for his avant-garde techniques and use of interesting materials like faux fur, vinyl, latex, glass, PVC and chrome. His ‘fantasy-tinged architectural style and bold silhouettes have made their mark on the history of fashion’.

Exhbition Signage, Yasmin Le Bon, Palladium , London, 1997

The exhibition showcased over 140 pieces, almost all of which had never been seen outside his ‘industrial couture’ atelier. Also shown are videos, photos, music videos, accessories, stage costumes and sketches.

La Chimère Collection 1997-98, ‘La Tonkinoise’

Metamorophosis: Fantasy Bestiary

In 1997-98 two collections debuted by Mugler, Les Insects and La Chimère. These turned heads due to their fantastical and mythical depictions. Taking inspiration from Insects, reptiles, birds and butterflies. Les Atlantes, took inspiration from the sea, in all its mythical depths.

Les Insectes Collection 1997

Mugler was an innovator, and determined to use synthetic materials in his work opposed to real skins or fur. He created his own versions, the most famous of which are his embossed leather jumpsuits, pieced together to resemble crocodile skins.

Another example of this is the stunning plumage on his butterfly dress. A long velvet sheath with flared train adorned with peacock feathers.

La Chimère Collection 1997-98

Mugler embodied a key moment in French fashion history, when the ‘Jeunes Créatuers’ put Paris back in fashion competition with the rest of the world.

One of the most breath-taking and interesting pieces was his famous La Chimère gown. This piece was designed in collaboration with the famous corset designer ‘Mr Pearl and the artist ‘Jean-Jaques Urcun. It is said to be one of the most expensive couture creations in history.

‘La Chimère’ from La Chimère Collection 1997-98

A long sheath dress, and fitted corset, adorned in ‘scales’ embellished with feathers, horsehair and crystals. It was one of the pieces in this exhibition that took your breath away, whether it be by the dazzling crystals and embellishment or the ‘scaled’ effect.

Futuristic & Fembot Couture

Presented in 1989, the Hiver Buick collection paid homage to the American car designer Harley J. Earl, responsible for the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado’s famous tail fins.

The collection played on these ideas, featuring a metallic finish, ‘convertible’ sheath gowns, ‘radiator’ belts and ‘fender’ bustiers.

Tire Look Rubber Suit from Les Insectes Collection 1997 & A velvet suit with florescent Line embroidery from ‘Music-Hall’ Collection 1990-91

A later collaboration with Jean-Jacques Urcun and Jean-Pierre Delcros (an aircraft bodywork specialist) created mystical robotic-couture creatures.

Maschinenmensch from the 20th Anniversary collection 1995-6

One of Mugler’s all-time masterpieces was the ‘Maschinenmensch’ which was presented in 1995 at the 20th anniversary show. It plays homage to the character of ‘Futura’ from the dystopian novel Metropolis. The outfit took 6 months to make, and is reminiscent of a crabs shell in its construction. The body armours plastic internal framework enables the wearer to move.

The Mugler Lab

From experiences when he was young, Mugler often looked to the sky and his favourite star, shining bluer than the others. He took to thinking of this star as his guiding angel, following him though life.

This later formed part of the inspiration for his perfume line, which he wanted to smell ‘so delectable you want to eat it’

A Luminous dress from the Les Médases Collection 1999-2000

Staging Fashion

Fascinated by breath-taking architecture and the immensity of natural settings, Mugler went on to photograph his own muses and create his own campaign visuals. He took to extreme locations, inspired by their sheer beauty and power. Photographing muses such as Jerry Hall in locations like an iceberg in Greenland, the dunes of the Sahara or atop the eagles of the Chrysler building.

A silk chiffon cape gown adorned with crystals from the 10th Anniversary Collection, 1984-5 and an image from the iceberg photoshoot

Mugler considered costume essential in the construction and enhancement of an individual’s life, staging it to make it more beautiful and fun.

Belle de Jour & Belle de Nuit

Mugler’s ‘glamazon’, a stylish, urban and unconventional woman defied the early 70’s hippie movement style. Broad hats, architectural silhouettes and revealing cleavage defined his glamazon woman. He thought of ‘Elegance is guts, it’s nerve’.

Garments from the 20th anniversary collection. With a fitted velvet coat with snow look crystals and feather embellishments

Mugler adopted materials like latex and vinyl, often used in the underground scene and turned them into elegant classics in his collections. The Mugler Look made history.

A Tuxedo-style jacket with see through back adorned with crystals from the Ritz Collection 1992-93

Too Funky

In 1992 George Michae released the music video for his hit song ‘Too Funky’ music video. During this time, George Michael had fallen out with his record company and boycotted appearing in his own videos to spite them. For ‘Too Funky’ he chose to use footage of a Mugler show, couture outfits and the models.

Details from outfits which appeared in the Too Funky video

This wonderful video also allowed Mugler to reveal the contrast between glamour out on the runway and the chaos behind the scenes

Wrought Iron crinoline adorned with sequins and crystals from the Les Cows Boys Collection 1992

This exhibition truly made us fall in love with design and embroidery all over again, with the dazzling sequins and elegant forms of the designs.

Thank you to Museé des Arts Decoratifs for this beautiful exhibition.

https://madparis.fr/thierry-mugler-couturissime-en

Words and Images by Rosie Watkins

Hawthorne & Heaney on Show at Fortnum and Mason

March 18, 2022 by Natasha Searls-Punter

We have the great privilage of being able to say that we currently have some works on display at the world renound Fortnum and Mason, London. As part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee, Fortnums are holding a series of exhibitions, spotlighting the artistic talents of British Craftsmanship. In partnership with QEST, the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, these exhibitions will show works from the scholars in a variety of fields, starting with ‘Wicker, Clay, Thread’ which are are delighted to be a part of.

Hawthorne & Heaney’s director, Claire Barrett is a scholar of QEST for Heraldic drafting, a much forgotten about skill but essential for the kinds of embroideries that Hawthorne & Heaney produce. The study of which has been applied directly to the hand embroidery artworks such as the working pocket sample below and the Positilion Badges in the case.

This style of drawing has gone onto inform the approach of these machine embroidery pieces to give them a similar luxurious feel but for some more practical applications, be it cushions or for costumes.

The exhibition is such as beautiful example of the incredible works of craftsmanship that are being produced in the UK, it would not do to talk about our bit and not highlight some of our favourites. Bob Johnston, wicker sculpter made this stag head piece, along with a cow version which is also on display which are arguably the most striking pieces on display. When we visited, the cow had already been purchased but the stag was still up for grabs.

Pictures dont do this piece called ‘Just a Drop of Milk for Me’ by Robert Walker justice. Specialising in ‘Verre Eglomise’ this piece uses a combination of etching, guilding, filigree and hand painting.

These colourful characters were created by hand embroidery scholar, Susannah Weiland . A mixed media artist, Weiland combines her printed drawings with stitching to create these final pieces which I’m sure you will agree are just precious.

We also have a second appearance in the exhibition with this typography piece which also draws on Claire’s Heraldic Drafting skills to weave the leaves within the design together. Machine embroidered onto velvet, this piece uses raised stitching to bring movement and character to the Monogram.

Being amongst these works is very inspiring and has already got us thinking about what we want to produce next! Do pop up to the 3rd floor to see the pieces which will be on display until 10th April, being hotly followed by by the next exhibition on ‘Wood, Glass, Paper’

Hawthorne & Heaney on ‘Faberge in London’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum

March 14, 2022 by Intern

Walking into the exhibition immediately you feel the nature of the exclusivity of the brand and the luxury of which these ornaments possess. Each object displayed exquisitely in their own selective groups laid on soft fabrics and under crystal clear light, allowing for the viewer to see them sparkling away in all their glory. With each piece being highly personalized to the receiver yet still maintaining that Faberge identity.

Hawthorne & Heaney on 'Faberge in London' at the Victoria and Albert Museum London Hand Embroidery — First room you walk into, all soft furnishings apart from the tiny encrusted crowns which sit in this cabinet.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Once you enter through the doors of the exhibition no cameras are allowed, so we did not get any images of the artwork, but this led me to show an increased interest in the people behind the work. I do not want to take away from the magnificent ornaments and their beauty which you should see for yourself. I want to emphasize the processes, the skills and the people behind each part of the journey of these detailed ornaments.

Firstly Carl Faberge himself, was not the original founder of the company, his father was in 1842 in St. Petersburg. Carl Faberge joined his father in the family business once he had traveled europe and studied as an apprentice of a goldsmith, it wasn’t until 1872 when he fully took over and the business was propelled forward by his genius and creative mind, allowing for the name Faberge to become known all other Russia and internationally.

Faberge himself did not make any of the products, even though he was highly skilled, which relates back to his ethos of caring more about the value of the craft that goes into the production of the piece rather than the value of the product itself. Each stage of the process was trusted to a highly skilled craftsman all with different expertise and working under the guidance of separate chief workmasters. 1901 saw the collaboration of all of these separate expertise under one roof when Faberge moved all production to one house in St. Petersburg, all production was carried out on the different floors and a show room was downstairs to allow customers to browse the wonderful collections. The growing strength and popularity of Faberge’s work was evident as his business flourished.

It was time for expansion, Faberge had to decide between France or England. He had spent a lot of time in both with the French luxury jewelry being a strong pull, yet England was the final decision due to the loyal client relations with the ruling families within England and the increase of wealth in English society along with the awareness and desire for Russian luxury pieces, such as Faberge’s work.

The Edwardians enjoyed gift giving between the wealthy and royal families, however there was a fine line between giving a gift out of gratitude and giving a gift in order to buy someone’s favour. A piece from Faberge’s workshop was the ideal answer to that, as most of his works had more emphasis on the value of the skill in production rather than the value of what it was made from, hence popularity and demand grew in England within the aristocracy.

Once in London, Henrik Wigstrom, who started as an apprentice with the previous chief workmaster now moved up to be the chief workmaster himself, carrying this role from 1903 till 1918. He played a prominent role in the London store and helped allow for the expansion to be successful outside of Russia. One more individual who really caught my attention was Alma Pihl, a women designer employed by Faberge at the young age of 20 years old which was very unusual for the time as there was a small number of women in the industry and an even small amount who were actual designers like herself. She was born into a family of master jewelers and designers prominent in Faberges workshops, and her own designs were quickly seen in Faberge’s work, with many of her pieces of jewellery being some of Faberge’s most celebrated today along with two imperial egg designs.

The War and Russian Revolution saw the start of the downfall for Faberge, with World War one affecting demand internationally. Many now saw extravagant gifts as not a necessity and insulting to the time where everyone was meant to be aiding the cause of supporting their country in a World War. In addition the Faberge factory was now conscripted to making munition, as his artisan ability and workers skills were ideal for making such metal work. The creative ornaments were still trying to be made, as the products changed to more modest gifts like cooking bowls and beakers made from simpler and more affordable materials.

Then the Russian Revolution forced Faberge to shut his doors, Faberge became heartbroken and devastated, he lacked purpose if he could not create his works of art. He ended up fleeing Russia in fear of prosecution, same as many of his colleagues and ended up in Switzerland where he unfortunately died, still broken-hearted at the complete disintegration of his life’s work in 1920.

The legacy of his life’s work still lives on to this day, we still treasure what was managed to be salvaged from Russia and admire what was kept by the British ruling families today. The craftsmanship is still remembered and honored along with the actual ornaments that we see presented in the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The fact that we still are able to see and look in awe at the work from a hundred years ago shows the quality, talent and skill that went into all his work.

I loved the exhibition. Each cabinet was a treasure-trove of beauty, you found yourself leaning closer and closer to see the fine details and extreme techniques used to create such exquisite masterpieces.

Thank you to the Victoria and Albert Museum for curating such a wonderful exhibition! https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/faberge

Words by Amelia Vance, Images courtesy of the V&A Museum

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Peru: A Journey in Time

February 8, 2022 by Intern

Independent, isolated yet highly developed. The Andean people challenge contemporary ideas of what makes a successful society, yet their civilisation began 3,500years ago (900 to 200 BC). The British Museum’s exhibition ‘Peru: a journey in time’ intrinsically integrates the different Andean communities in chronological order yet still allowing for an organic integration of life, death and rebirth which is poignant to the lives of the indigenous communities.

We must understand the connection the Andean people had with the land, which was shown predominately with symbols in their artwork, for example this cloth showing the three diverse landscapes the communities lived from, the rainforest, the mountains, and the ocean.

Hawthorne & Heaney visits Peru: A Journey in Time London Hand Embroidery — A piece of cloth, with hand painted symbols of the land. The bird feathers representing the rainforest, the circular shapes showing the mountains and the lakes and the waves for the Pacific Ocean.

They were incredibly resourceful from the sea and cultivated the land for crops, showing great technological innovation and communities that were rich in knowledge. However, unlike modern day cultivation they do not just take the resources, what is so beautiful about the Andean culture is that they believe that nature is a living being. ‘Sustaining all life, woven into the shared belief system of which the natural and supernatural worlds are intimately connected’. Many objects in the exhibition show this intimate connection through the divine beings embodying the power of plants and animals, reflecting how nature supplied for the needs of society.

An Andean understanding of time is contradicting to that of a western perception. The belief that past, present and future are directly interconnected and happening at the same moment is for us almost incomprehensible and disrupts almost everything we base our cultural beliefs on! The Andean people take the living past into the present which influences the future. The importance of respecting ancestors and ensuring a safe passage into the afterlife is integral to the communities.

Just dissecting this remarkable piece of textiles, we can take so much information about the funerary rituals. Firstly, the severed heads which represent the importance to the afterlife, it is suggested that the heads were taken from the sacrificial rituals which then developed into the life-giving ceremonies. The life-giving ceremonies were when the life force of individuals were symbolically extracted to maintain balance in the neutral cycle of life, enforcing this further the heads are sometimes depicted with plants sprouting from the skulls to show the interdependence of life and death.

Deities, were how the ancestors and mythical beings were depicted with head dresses on, nose pieces and accessories which gave them animal type features showing the strong link with nature. This style of dressing was not just depicted in the artwork to honour the ancestor, but also worn by the living bringing the deities to life.

Textiles also played a large role in respecting the dead and the ancestors. Skilled and trained weavers were sourced to create the most beautiful, patterned textiles to wrap the dead body, usually being much more complex weaving methods and finer fabrics used for the dead rather than the living who wore practical everyday cloth. The Textile industry was proof of technological innovation in society, being a collaborative activity, the trade was passed down to workers who would train for years to perfect their skill and improve their knowledge.

Sacrifice and Ritual were dominant methods of respecting the ancestors, pleasing the gods and ‘maintaining a balance between the natural and supernatural worlds’. Ritual battles provided this, the indigenous communities didn’t fight to expand territory but used soldiers in a Moche ceremony of ritual battle. In which pairs of finely dressed warriors engaged in hand two hand combat, the losing warrior was stripped and taken to the mountains to be sacrificed.

Hallucinogenic plants were used extensively and were an important part of Nasca ritual, it allowed individuals to transform into different states of being and transcend time. This was visible in the artworks and ceramics of the communities giving the individuals the ability to really aline with their belief of life, death and rebirth being connected so deeply.

The exhibition expresses all these elements of Andean life and culture in such a respectful and informative way I felt myself gliding round the room mesmerised by each fact and admiring such an enduring culture and community who lived through colonisation from the west. It truly is remarkable and really telling of how deep rooted and powerful their traditions were to survive western repression and rule and still be seen to be practised today, 200 years after gaining independence again from Spain.

‘In many ways, past traditions inform present practise, and the enduring belief that humans are a part of the living landscape helps to shape our shared future. The objects in the exhibition connect this narrative and provide a brief glimpse of these remarkable societies from whom there is so much to learn’. The last message from the Exhibition curators as you leave the exhibition, which I felt summed the whole display up wonderfully.

Thank you to the British Museum for this remarkable exhibition, if you found this interesting then I strongly suggest you visit the exhibition and see the artifacts for yourself! Closing 20^th February 2022.

Photos and Words by Amelia Vance

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits ”Hell in its Heyday” at Sir John Soane’s Museum

December 1, 2021 by Intern

This exhibition at Sir John Soane’s Museum takes you on a journey to the weird and wonderful world of contemporary artist Pablo Bronstein’s depiction of hell.

“Members club” (Gaudy mansions which used to line the avenue

have been torn down and replaced by swanky apartment buildings,

but this venerable old place is still holding out.)

This collection is a new body of work which was developed over the last year after the exhibition was delayed due to lockdown restrictions. The exhibition consists of twenty-two heavily detailed large-scale watercolour paintings created especially for the museum.

Bronstein’s vision for this collection was to turn the underworld into something glamorous and desirable. It’s not the most traditional version of hell of which most of the public would imagine, who would have thought hell would ever be described as something desirable?

This body of work presents the 19^th and 20^th centuries and their technological and economic advancements through a nostalgic but also deeply ironic filter. This exhibition invites the visitor to explore hell imagined as a monumental city, which they are then guided through. The city is made up of botanical gardens, oil rigs concert halls and casinos to name a few. The city portrays a vision of the underworld that lures the viewer in but is also extremely unsettling, where all your desires and pleasures can be satisfied. The artist even creates hells mines and factories as luxurious and expensive venues.

“Oil rigs” (Gleaming oil rigs rise from the dust and mud of the valley,

each vying with its neighbour for the best ornamentation).

Pablo Bronstein drew from a range of sources for his inspiration, from mannerist sculpture, commedia dell’arte, eighteenth-century interior design, the circus and early advertising posters and television.

“Fly over and roundabout” (A multi lane carriageway leading from the central bank and

civic administrative quarter heads to the casino)

Bronstein was inspired to make this collection for many reasons, one reason being his family. Bronstein’s family are from the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires which is referenced throughout this collection. You can see a reference to his family in the image of the three headed pink swan fountain where ribbons of the Argentine flags hang from the fountain.

“Botanical Gardens” (A romantic botanical garden features clipped

giant yew trees in terracotta urns, over- grown with lilac wisteria in bloom).

19^th century architect Sir John Soane himself was a big inspiration for this exhibition as the two had a lot in common. Bronstein’s work often shows a lot of historical architecture and antique references, and Sir John Soanes Museum holds a great deal of antique beauty. This therefore made Sir John Soanes Museum the perfect location to hold his work.

What makes this exhibition, so eye catching is the amount of colour that explodes throughout the collection. The strong colours sort of happened by accident” Bronstein stated. “Something went wrong with one of the red skies, and in trying to repair it I made it even more red. “I secretly felt quite liberated and worked back into the other drawings to make the colours stronger.”

“Flight” (Machines of aeronautical progress – balloons, Zeppelins, planes, and parachutes –

serve as sport for a group of hungry faeries)

One of our favourite pieces of Bronstein’s work is titled “Patisseries and Confections”. It consists of an array of tempting cakes which appear as skyscrapers because of the scale of the artwork. Bronstein heavily plays on scale throughout his collection which creates the unsettling feel he wants the viewers to experience. Scale is a very powerful concept and Bronstein has created a similar effect to the famous children’s book ‘Alice in Wonderland’ where everything is much larger than it should be. This can make the viewer feel uncomfortable and disturbed. Its almost like a vision from a nightmare.

“Port” (A sumptuous evening buffet is served. A large lobster on a bed of lettuce leaves

slides off a silver platter and onto a white tablecloth).

The exhibition also consists of a new film which features a group of antique dealers performing a masked ballet while trying to sell antiques to a dead man. The proprietor, played by Rosalie Wahlfird and her two assistants Iris Chan and Irene Cena, portray that in hell shopping is the ultimate cultural experience. Bronstein has previously drawn from 17th century ballet to develop performances at the Tate. The short film was shot mostly at his home during lockdown which creates a big comedic aspect however also has a quite disturbing feel with its dramatic music and hyperbolic language.

This exhibition was really interesting to visit, as well as the art work the short movie was a great extra to the exhibition and helped the visitor get inside Pablo Bronstein’s head. John Soane created the museum to educate and inspire he visitors and this exhibition lets the viewer drift off into a different world and loose themselves in a new vision of the underworld.

Make sure you go and visit Sir John Soanes Museum to have a look round.

https://www.soane.org/whats-on/curators-tour-pablo-bronstein-hell-its-heyday-exhibition

Hawthorne and Heaney studies virtual tour of Rei Kawakubo’s collection: Collecting Commes

May 13, 2021 by Intern

A global Pandemic would have thought to close a lot of opportunities to explore and continue with normal livelihood, however one could say it has opened a lot of opportunities for us to stay in touch with radical discoveries more through virtual experiences. The NGV exhibition, “Collecting Comme” features Rei Kawakubo’s contemporary fashion collection.

Cloak from the Blood & Roses collection, 2014 by Rei Kawakubo’s

Rei Kawakubo’s, features 65 garments from over 40 collections, she wanted to make clothes that didn’t exist before. Not only in her fashion, it’s the way clothes are made to reinvent a new style. She overturns conventional ideas of existing fashions and beauty, through this she disrupts normalized characteristics of the fashionable body.

Takamasa Takahashi, a Japanese fan of Rei’s work who collected her work since the 1970s, and put together most of the Collecting Comes, he was purchasing clothes for himself even though the garments were from a women’s collection he felt they could define his character. He would buy a pair of wide, quilted cotton pants, to him the collection held a baggy and genderless style. This notion of breaking typical rules of fashion entices many who seek to find their own fashion which is not the normalised feminine or masculine shapes and colour used in present fashion as we know today.

Installation view of Collecting Comes, 2020 by Rei Kawakubo’s

Transcending Gender collection, 1995 by Rei Kawakubo’s

However, in this exhibition Rei’s work upheld a higher strain on women’s wear, as we can see from this exhibition, the shapes are still androgynous, however the fabrics, colours and the garment making still holds very feminine features, making folds into a flower shape or using bold colours like vibrant reds although, they still hold neutral colour scheme and feature masculine shapes of blazers. Leaving a controversial question when looking at her clothes as you are not left with a certain idea of who will be wearing them.

Collecting Comes, 2020

One of my favourite from Rei’s collection is this plaid poncho garment, although this could be mistaken as skirt used as a scarf. This notion of using ‘deconstructed’ clothing form reinforces the contravention of a new reinvented way of making clothes. Rei is always overlooking normalized fashion and makes it her own with undefining meaning. The purpose through her fashion proposals, reframes predetermined concepts of attraction and rearticulating a new connection between body and dress.

Rei Kawakubo’s collection is very exciting and fresh, the geometric shapes and symmetry used disrupts usual characteristics of typical fashions of the body. Breaking the rules of gender fashion Rei Kawakubo’s collection leaves us refreshed with a new approach to fashion, given though the convenience of the virtual tours.

Words written Mohini Patel

Photo’s sourced from collecting comes ngv online exhibition https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/collecting-comme/