"Cubism and Fashion" at the Met
Jjjjjulie
Robin Givhan writes about this new exhibit in her fashion column in today's
_Washington Post_. She says in part:
"Cubism and Fashion," the current exhibit of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art's Costume Institute in New York, explores the relationship between this
influential art movement and attire. In the ongoing debate over whether fashion
is or can be art, curator Richard Martin makes a persuasive affirmative
argument by using the unique characteristics of cubism.
The parallels between Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," for instance,
and a silk charmeuse evening gown by Vionnet are telling. Cubism allowed the
artist to "deconstruct the body," Martin says. Artists envisioned the body
flattened and turned into a series of geometric shapes. Likewise, "Vionnet sees
the body as a series of planes and angles," Martin says.
A Vionnet wedding gown, for instance, is constructed from an array of
triangular pieces that have been cut on the bias, then stitched together to
drape around the body.
In a cubist painting, images are deflated, flattened. At the same time,
the fundamental notion of a woman's dress also becomes, Martin says, "as flat
as a pancake."
(The full text can be found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-01/17/108l-011799-idx.html)
This exhibit sounds absolutely fascinating. Has anyone been to see it yet?
--
Julie P.
Have you first searched Dejanews (www.dejanews.com/home_ps.shmtl)?
rjk
exhibit in her >fashion column in today's _Washington Post_. She says in
part:
> "Cubism and Fashion," the current exhibit of the Metropolitan Museum of
> Art's Costume Institute in New York, explores the relationship between
this
> The parallels between Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," for
instance,
> and a silk charmeuse evening gown by Vionnet are telling.
This is a very interesting concept. here is some back ground information
on Cubism:
Cubism, movement in modern art concerned with abstract forms rather than
lifelike representation. It began in Paris about 1908, reached its height
by 1914, and developed further in the 1920s. A revolt against the
sentimental and realistic traditional painting of the late 19th and early
20th centuries, cubism drew inspiration from tribal art and marked the
beginning of abstract art in Western art.
Influenced by French postimpressionist Paul Cézanne, analytical cubism
emphasizes the basic geometric solids or basic planes of a subject. Early
analytical cubists generally used restrained colors or worked in
monochrome. Synthetic cubism incorporates views of a subject from different
angles into a unified composition. After 1914 synthetic cubists introduced
brighter colors to the movement.
Cubist painters include Spaniards Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris, and French
artists Georges Braque, Albert Gleizes, Robert Delaunay, Fernand Leger,
Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp, and Roger de La Fresnaye. Cubist sculptors
include Picasso, French artist Raymond Duchamp-Villon, and Russian-born
Americans Jacques Lipchitz and Aleksandr Archipenko.
I think the concept of working in monochrome also of note.rjudith
rjk
> exhibit in her fashion column in today's _Washington Post_. She says in
> part: > "Cubism and Fashion," the current exhibit of the Metropolitan
Museum
> of Art's Costume Institute in New York, explores the relationship between
> this influential art movement and attire... The parallels between
Picasso's "Les >Demoiselles d'Avignon," for instance, and a silk
charmeuse evening gown by >Vionnet are telling.
Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975) is recognized as one of the greatest
dressmaker of the twentieth century.
There is an interesting site about her @:
She also designed exceptional scarves of luxurious materials that were
"Ever changing reflection of light; rich and unique." A few of them are
pictured on the above site.
In Jujurieux, France there is a textile museum which is still at a
functioning textile plant that fashioned velvets, damasks and other
extraordinary fabrics. It is in this historic setting that the Madeleine
Vionnet collection was conceived and woven. This " mill was nothing less
than a town in itself, complete with workers' accommodation, food store,
infirmary, creche for the children and young women's hostel." This is
similar to the earlier British national Historic Trust @ Quarry Bank Mill
which is a museum based in a Victorian cotton mill in Styal, just South of
Manchester,UK
http://www.rmplc.co.uk/orgs/quarrybankmill
the above is also a great site. The silk and cotton mills in Holyoke and
Lowell MA were also patterned after this complete community concept. And
actually the word "STYLE" is derived from this mill complex @ Styal. -
rjudith
rjk
of the >Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York,
explores the >relationship between this influential art movement and
attire... The parallels
In 1998 there was published a magnificent oversized book 'Madeleine
Vionnet' written by
Issey Miyake and costume historian Betty Kirke. Vionnet gave the world
bias-cut gowns, halter dresses and cowl necks back in the 1930s and '40s.
The book has contemporary photographs of her clothing, period pictures shot
by Man Ray and Steichen, design sketches, and 38 actual patterns. An
expensive book @ $85 which Amazon sells for :$59.50 with limited
availability. Hardcover - 244 pages rjudith
La
LOVED the Vionnets! She was a truly amazing designer. I love the fact
that she didn't use stupid gimmicks in her clothes; just simple,
beautiful textiles, and amazing cuts.
I really wanted the *Cubism and Fashion* book, but, alas, I didn't
have $45 dollars! (I hate being a student!) Maybe later.
-La (who mysteriously appears and disappears)
LOVJjjjjulie wrote:about the met show in the Washington Post
NDeSimon
>LOVED the Vionnets! She was a truly amazing designer. I love the fact
>that she didn't use stupid gimmicks in her clothes; just simple,
>beautiful textiles, and amazing cuts.
ooo-wee! when does this show end?
jal...@compuserve.com
On 1999-01-17 jjjj...@aol.com(Jjjjjulie) said:
jj>In the ongoing debate over whether fashion is or can be art,
Is this an area of debate? I'm sure fashion pre-dates cave the
paintings, and I bet there were family arguments as to whether
leopard or tiger skins were going to be in next season.
jj>Artists envisioned the body flattened and turned into a series of
jj>geometric shapes. Likewise, "Vionnet sees the body as a series of
jj>planes and angles," Martin says.
Wouldn't a series of curves be more comfortable, more flattering?
People may strive to get an angle, but their bodies don't fit into them
very well. Cubism works well on the canvas (a flat media) but I don't
expect to be impressed with cubic clothing.
Dress well,
Joel
___
jal...@compuserve.com | Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
| Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my memory the most!
Net-Tamer V 1.12 Beta - Test Drive
NDeSimon
>Vionnet' written by
>Issey Miyake and costume historian Betty Kirke. Vionnet gave the world
>bias-cut gowns, halter dresses and cowl necks back in the 1930s and '40s.
>The book has contemporary photographs of her clothing, period pictures shot
>by Man Ray and Steichen, design sketches, and 38 actual patterns. An
>expensive book @ $85 which Amazon sells for :$59.50 with limited
>availability. Hardcover - 244 pages rjudith
This sounds like a steal, as a Bibliofind search came up with this:
Betty Kirke. Foreword by Issey Miyake. : MADELEINE VIONNET. ; In her own time,
Madeleine Vionnet (1876-1975) was the greatest dressmaker. She was considered a
genius for her innovations with the bias cut, and had a devoted following
throughout Europe, Asia and the Western hemisphere. She designed for film stars
of the 1930s inventing new patterns and techniques, rejecting corseted figures
in favor of fluid body shapes. Her dresses are highly prized among collectors
today. This is the definitive study of this brilliant designer, illustrated
with more than 400 photographs, line drawings and watercolors, and including 38
original patterns for Vionnet dresses. 10-1/2x14-1/2, 244pp., more than 400
illus., index. San Francisco, 1998. 2247 Offered for sale by Hacker Art
Books, Inc. at US$100.00
I think I'll pay Amazon a visit, thanks for the tip!
KateOfArk
:: Katy sits up in bed and types a quick note to the newsgroup::She types very
quietly so as not to wake up the sleeping cats and scotts.:::
It's three in the morning, and, boy, am I glad y'all never sleep!
One of the samples that Connie put in the bag with my purchase was a sample of
CSP's Kumquat.
Now, y'all know that I try to be a very practical person, and perfume isn't a
very practical thing if you bathe on any regular basis. I mean, "Why?" ya
know?
So, I have a hard time justifying perfume purchases to myself, however, I may
fork over the big bucks for this fragrance.
::The chorus of voices in katy's head speak on your behalf:::
"Why? Why Katy? Why hand over something close to the price of a cable bill
for perfume? WHY?"
Well, my li'l voices... I'm glad you asked!
This stuff is great! It smells CLEAN! Isn't that a great idea?! SMELL
CLEAN! Whoohooo!
It's lemony with this Oriental undertone that I don't have word for. It's like
smelling clean only it lasts longer than the soap smell, and it has this really
great fruity top note that says... "I'm Better Than Soap, Pal!"
It's kicky and fun, and it has thirty percent fewer calories than... uh..
yeah... well... okay.
Also, there is that added benefit of getting to use the word "kumquat" in a
sentence. I actually doubled over laughing when Connie told me the name. Can
you believe it?
Say it with me.. You can participate in this interactive posting.
C-S-P K-u-m-q-u-a-t
I wish I'd been there when they named it. I bet it went like this.....
::Deep in the heart of the CSP laboratories, the perfume scientists have just
invented a new CSP Fragrance....:::
"Hey, Ed? What do you wanna name this perfume?"
"Gee Steve, we've already covered the after dinner food names, lets go for
garden varieties..."
"Ya wanna name it Lemon Pledge?"
"Nahhh. That ones taken."
"How about Something FRENCH?"
"Nahhhh, we'd have to get Krysta to help the Texans say the names again."
"How about kumquat?"
"Kumquat! Hey! It's a perfume name with a sense of humor! Lets go with that!
You call Beauty Cafe, and I will go round up some sample bottles
::Meanwhile back in reality the Katy yawns:::
So, that is my Altfashion Product review for today. I've got a couple more to
do, but I'm waiting for my Beauty Cafe purchase to arrive so yall can't buy the
products I like before I do.
::Katy focusses all of her energy on the front door of the Ark::
Come to me UPS Man.... You are under my spell... you cannot resist my power.
DALLAS4419
laugh....even at 6am in the morning.....
is that who the steve and ed are calling us at 2am in the morning? and we
thought they wanted united healthcare all this time....
lisa in dallas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<A HREF="http://www.beautycafe.com/">www.beautycafe.com</A>
free box of chocolates/gift wrap with 60.00 gift order for valentines day!!
don't forget FREE shipping over 50.00!!
Sandra194
Now I must have a sample of CSP Kumquat; you're right, how many times do I get
to use the word "kumquat" in a sentence?
I havent done a BeautyCafe order this year...heehee. I guess I'll have to place
an order to get a sample.
Sandra in NC
DALLAS4419
it should be in stock by february 5th....
KateOfArk
I am guessing here, but I suspect that it is already available.
I know that Connie usually puts samples into the sample bottles from the
testers. So, I'm pretty sure that Kumquat is already out.
The store was really busy on Saturday. It was full of people.
Ask Connie, (Cgo...@aol.com).
-- Kate
KateOfArk
lisa in dallas>>
Oh heck,
I should read the entire thread before I post.
Sorry, Lisa. I will be more careful in the future. ;D
-- Kate