Fashion is performance. Regardless of the situation in which a piece of clothing is placed, the very act of wearing something, of moving, is performative. In a way, fashion is an instrument within a concert of the waking world.
I actually feel kinda dirty for having written that last line... Nick Cave (not the singer) creates Soundsuits. These are constructions that are designed to be both performative and sculptural. Created at, or slightly above, human scale, they provide a sheath for the wearer such that almost all aspect of who is beneath are invisible. In fact, the way they are presented at The Anderson makes me think any of them could start walking around at any moment exactly because they are so masking. The forms used to conceal the wearer vary, but often include yarn, baubles, sequins, and other elements that are commonplace, and often would be seen as cheap or disposable. Each Soundsuit seems to tell a different story that is as deeply concealed as the wearer. The one with the abacus for a face seems to be talking about the role of thought and the out-moded nature of the human mind compared to computers. The one with the trees and tree limbs seems to declare that all humanity is comes from nature. These are miracle pieces, and intensely well designed. Even static as they are at The Anderson, they are performing. They are jungle gyms in an artistic playground, they do not have to move to seem to flow through everything.
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Your HostChristopher J Garcia - Curator, Fan Writer, Podcaster, and a guy who just loves art. Archives
February 2019
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