Exhibition Review: The Concise Dictionary of Dress

dic-tion-ar-y
1. a book containing a selection of the words of a language, usually arranged alphabetically, giving information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, etcetra expressed in either the same or another language; lexicon; glossary;
2. a book giving information on particular subjects or on a particular class of words, names or facts usually arranged alphatetically
 Source: Webster's Encyclopeadic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 1994 

Conformist, Photo by Julian Abrams 2010

The Concise Dictionary of Dress is a site-specific art installation that explores the art and language of dress within the confines of the Blythe House, a storage facility of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Commissioned by Artangel, the creators Judith Clark and Adam Phillips insert clothing, accessories, cast objects, photographs in surreal and evocative tableaus within the V&A Museum's reserve collections. Clues to the interpretation for the eleven installations are provided through cards with definitions of dress terms written by psychoanalyst Adam Phillips. These words were chosen because of their association with fashion and appearance and included: armoured, comfortable, conformist, creased, essential, fashionable, loose, measured, plain, pretentious, tight.

Armoured, Photo byTas Kyprianon

The Blythe House is the working storage facility of the V&A Museum, and as such attending The Concise Dictionary of Dress requires advance planning and security clearance. Only seven people are admitted at twenty minute intervals for a docent-accompanied tour and tickets cannot be purchased at the venue. Over the course of the exhibition which continues to June 27, 2010, a maximum of about 5000 people will see this unparalleled presentation with the confines of the Blythe House. 

From the moment I buzzed the security officer to allow me access through the fenced-in grounds to the time I returned my security pass to the clerk, I was conscious of being in a place that few people have ever seen. Once the home of the headquarters of the Post Office Savings Bank, the Blythe House now is home to the reserve collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum as well as the Science Museum and the British Museum. Security is tight and this means that visitors must leave all bags and purses behind in a locked storage cabinet and groups of seven are accompanied through the exhibition by a guide. Leading the way through a labyrinth of corridors, these guides yield a huge ring of keys, distribute the definitions at each installation, and issue frequent reminders not to talk inside this working facility.

Having had access to the press materials before setting foot in the Blythe House made my experience somewhat different than the average person. And yet  in spite of my advance preparation, I was utterly astonished by the unexpected juxtapositions of a dress tableau beside a row of Roman wall reliefs, a wall of swords, or a massing of antique furniture.

Fashionable, Photo by Julian Abrams 2010

This exhibition was decidedly different from anything I've ever seen. Clark and Phillips created eleven tableau that required effort to understand. In the end,  this exhibition was anything but a dictionary to define the meaning of dress. In the absence of standard museum labeling, the viewer was forced to make connections between the definition and what was on display. In fact, this conceptually-based presentation stepped into the realm of contemporary art.

For example, for the word Plain, there were a number of dressed mannequins covered in Tyvec material. The definition given for the installation and the word Plain was 1. nothing special where nothing special intended. 2. Hiding to make room. Underneath those Tyvec covered mannequins were in fact Balenciaga gowns. In spite of the iconic shapes, the only way I knew this for sure was by reading the book that accompanies the exhibition.

Plain,  Photo by Julian Abrams 2010

My favourite tableau was a presentation of a muslin/calico gown elaborately embroidered in 354 hours of work by Rosie Taylor-Davies. Designed and commissioned by Judith Clark, the embellishment on this gown was based on a William Morris design which was drawn in hand in pencil, painted and worked in coloured stranded silk thread and a variety of metal threads and spangles. Accompanied by the definition Conformist, this pinned-together gown was a breathtaking display of craftsmanship.

Conformist,  Photo by Julian Abrams

There were other tableau in the exhibition that had me struggling to find the deeper meanings and connections between the definitions and the displays. Observing such installations like part of a dress for Junyu Watanabe for Comme des Garcons in a leaky coal bunker for the definition of Creased left me feeling vaguely uncomfortable and at times confused. Even so, I was undeterred and welcomed the challenge to create my own meaning.

Creased,  Photo by Julian Abrams 2010

The Concise Dictionary of Dress is a unique exhibition that blurs the boundaries between art, psychology and fashion. Challenging the viewer to re-interpret clothing and accessories in terms of anxiety, wish and desire, this site-specific installation also offers a rare opportunity to engage with the background of objects contained within Blythe House.

Pretentious Photo by Julian Abrams 2010

If you are lucky enough to live in London or to be traveling there before the exhibition closes on June 27, 2010, don't miss this extraordinary presentation. Tickets can be purchased at artangel.org.uk

As well, on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 630 pm, Judith Clark and Adam Phillips will talk about how their respective interests and ideas are expressed through The Concise Dictionary of Dress. This talk will be moderated by Lisa Appignanesi at the London College of Fashion. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance by emailing rhs@fashion.arts.ac.uk.


The Concise Dictionary of Dress
Judith Clark and Adam Phillips
Blythe House, London W14
April 28 to June 27, 2010
Presented by Artangel

Exhibition Review: Grace Kelly, Style Icon

Grace Kelly

Photograph by Erwin Blumenfeld New York, 1955. 

© The Estate of Erwin Blumenfeld 2009

The thing that made her stand out is what we call 'style'. 
McCall's magazine 1955

Classic beauty, cool elegance, and impeccable style are the words that come to mind when I think of Grace Kelly. And even though she died nearly thirty years ago, I seem to have lots of company in my admiration for this legendary actress and princess. On a daily basis, there are crowds of people attending the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the shows are selling out.

Installation Shot copyright of V&A Images 2010

On display are an exquisite array of clothing and accessories that trace the transformation of the actress into a princess. The exhibition includes costumes from High Society and other movies, dresses from her trousseau, the ballerina style wedding suit worn for her civil ceremony to Prince Ranier, and an selection of haute couture gowns worn in her role as the Princess of Monaco including several fancy dress ballgowns. Several of the exhibition cases are backed with mirrors making the backs of the garments visible and the show is enhanced by photographs and film clips. Nevertheless, I heard a few grumbles in the crowd from people who were disappointed that the gown worn for the formal wedding ceremony was not on display (apparently because of its fragile condition).

Installation Shot copyright of V&A Images

Having studied the press materials and the book Grace Kelly Style in advance of the show, I had some idea of what to expect. But seeing a photo of a dress and seeing it in person do not equate! With a few exceptions, all the dresses have a simplicity of line and understated embellishments which create a harmony and elegance of form. My favourite pieces included:
* a floral silk dress made from a McCall's pattern that she wore on her first meeting with Prince Ranier in 1955 (shown in the first installation shot above),
* a stunning purple evening gown in silk by Hubert de Givenchy from 1960 (seen in the second installation shot above),
* the silk organza dress in pale blue designed by Helen Rose for the movie High Society.

My overall impression was that Grace Kelly embodied elegance, both in her clothing choices and in her life.

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, 1956

© Snap/Rex features

If you have the opportunity to visit this exhibition before it closes on September 26, 2010, be sure to buy your tickets in advance to avoid long line ups and disappointment. Also worth considering are the lectures and workshops listed in the events calendar.

Victoria and Albert Museum
South Kensington London SW
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
www.vam.ac.uk/gracekelly

Note: All photos in this post were provided by the Victoria and Albert Museum and are subject to copyright.

Threads: Six Masters of Fashion Photography

It seems like it was only recently that fashion photography was acknowledged as an art form. But even so, it is not often featured in gallery shows and it was by chance that I stumbled across a show called Threads: Six Masters of Fashion Photography at the Diemar/Noble Photography Gallery in London. On display and for sale was the work of six fashion photographers including:

Edwin Blumenfeld
Guy Bourdin
William Klein
Helmut Newton
Norman Parkinson
Edward Steichen

This coherent and elegant presentation of iconic black and white images from six masters of light and composition is well worth a visit. Highlights of the exhibition include
Polaroids by Helmut Newton
One of two known prints of Guy Boudrin's photo of a model wearing a hat in front of gutted rabbits in the now infamous ‘Chapeaux – Choc’
A rare group of vintage prints by Norman Parkinson
Rare Surrealist fashion images by Erwin Blumenfeld

There is no charge to see the exhibition and it was a real delight to see such exquisite work up close without having to jostle for elbow room in a crowded museum.  If the gallery owners hadn't been so deep in conversation, I would have asked them why they didn't include a  female fashion photographer like Lillian Bassman in the show. (And if I wasn't so shy, I might even have handed over a business card - sigh!)

Threads: Six Masters of Fashion Photography
Diemar/Noble Photography
May 13 - July 11, 2010
66/67 Wells Street
London, UK    W1T 3PY
44 (0)20 7636 5375
email:  rsvp@diemarnoble.com

Drunk on Inspiration

Stepping out of my routine to go to London was like falling down the rabbit hole into another world. Far away from home and by myself, I savoured each moment. I was free to think, free to dream and free to wander. Without the tether of the computer, cell phone or to-do list, I had time out, time away, time for myself. And even though it was exhausting to prepare for, grueling to get there with a delay caused by the volcanic ash cloud, challenging to deal with the five hour time difference and the loneliness of eating meals alone, and overwhelming to return to a huge to-do list and about 300 emails to answer, it was worth it. The installations I saw, the galleries I visited, and the beauty I took in, filled me up. I feel drunk with inspiration!

 

Prince Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London by Ingrid Mida 2010

The House of Viktor and Rolf at the Barbican Art Gallery

Viktor and Rolf are a Dutch design duo that create technically exquisite, artistically breathtaking fashion. I attended the retrospective of their work at the Barbican Art Gallery in London (June 18 - September 21, 2008).

The exhibition presents looks from the past fifteen seasons on custom-made life-size porcelain dolls with the features painted and the hair styled to resemble the model that initially wore that garment. The other-worldly beauty of these dolls is surreal and somewhat unsettling.

My favourite garments were from Flowerbomb 2005 where bows and ribbons decorated the outfits like an exquisite partly unwrapped gift.

Flowerbomb Collection Spring/Summer 2005
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2008

I also loved the dove-white duchess satin wedding dress of Her Royal Highness Princess Mabel von Orange-Nassua from the White collection of 2002.

Viktor & Rolf White collection 2002
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2008

Viktor & Rolf White Collection 2002
Photo by Ingrid Mida

The highlight of the show is a spectacular 6 metre high doll's house containing 54 custom-made dolls, wearing a perfect miniature version of a Victor and Rolf garment. Sadly I was not able to photograph this. I walked around the doll's house several times trying to absorb and remember all the details.

One of the most meaningful parts of the exhibition for me was seeing the evolution of Viktor and Rolf's artistic vision and success. They are true artists as much as they are fashion designers. A dress is more than a dress; it has to express a vision and conform to the theme for the season. A key part of their development seemed to be the 1996 collection which presented their collection in miniature. The designers said that "we created a series of miniature installations visualizing our strongest ambitions: a doll on a catwalk, a doll in a photo studio, a miniature boutique and so forth. The dolls were an abstraction of people and the scenes they enacted showed a life we desired but only dared to dream of."

House of Viktor and Rolf June 18-September 21, 2008
Barbican Art Gallery
Silk Street, London, England EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery