Update and Repost: Dimensional Fashion on Display in Grand Rapids

So I went back to the GRAM for another look at Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion

(yes it is interesting enough to warrant a second look!)

And I took the time this time to watch the footage of her runway shows. On mannequins, the dresses have a beautiful fascination, but when you watch someone try to move in them, you get a grasp of their absolute absurd ridiculousness. 

Honestly, these women look so uncomfortable and miserable. Mostly it's the shoes. The insane heelless shoes. I simply cannot get over them. I can't stop watching these 9-foot-tall toothpicks wobbling down the runway. And when someone is concentrating that hard on simply walking forward, it becomes less sexy and more degrading. 

So please, go see the show and enjoy it as art and sculpture, be awed by the materials, but I'm going to stop referring to the pieces as clothes now!

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Original post published December 22nd, 2016  

If you find yourself in Grand Rapids during the next few weeks, I must urge you to check out the Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

On display, are about 100 innovative pieces from Iris van Herpen, a cutting-edge fashion designer from the Netherlands. The stunning craftsmanship of Van Herpen's work is not overshadowed by her use of unorthodox materials, such as umbrellas and metal screens. But she is perhaps best known for creating the world's first 3-D-printed couture fashions.

The 3-D printed clothes, don't look particularly comfortable and I don't anticipate seeing them hanging in our closets anytime soon, but they don't fail to enrapture. The futuristic styles compliment the human form in an organic manner, yet create designs that function more like sculpture than apparel. 

Van Herpen revealed her first collection in 2007, after graduating from the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in the Netherlands. Since then, her work has appeared on international runways and she has designed couture pieces for fashion powerhouses such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Bjork.

Van Herpen believes "Wearing clothing creates an exciting and imperative form of self-expression." This exhibition features outfits, while outrageously "different", are undeniable beautiful. 

The GRAM exhibition continues until January 15th. I cannot recommend a visit strongly enough. For a listing of hours of operation, visit artmuseumgr.org.

Wild Things Happening at the GRAM

When I used to baby-sit perpetually, Where the Wild Things Are was a book that I could recite by heart:

"The night Max wore his wolf suit, and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him 'Wild Thing' and Max said "I'll eat you up!", so he was sent to bed without eating anything."

A compilation of work by children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak is currently on exhibition at the GRAM, and features dozens of original Wild Things sketches. 

The beloved children's classic was published in 1963 and transformed the genre of children's literature—portraying children as individuals, with real moods and emotions.

Sendak originally pitched the story idea as Where the Wild Horses Are—the editor loved the idea, but Sendak soon realized he couldn't draw horses. When he told his editor*, she asked: “Maurice, what can you draw?”

“Things,” he said.

The "Things" take on the personas of some of Sendak's aunts and uncles, who he remembers having crooked teeth and hairy noses. His child-like and literal understanding of things they often said frightened him, "How fat you got, you look so good we could eat you up," they'd say.

Since its release, Where the Wild Things Are has been animated, made into an opera (that Sendak designed the set for), and a feature length film. 

But that wasn't Sendak's entire legacy. He also wrote the book and lyrics for the children's musical, Really Rosie. I did not know this before visiting the museum today, but I remember seeing this play as a kid, and wearing the hot pink t-shirt for YEARS afterwards. So thanks, Maurice Sendak. 

Sendak was born the same year as Mickey Mouse, and the mouse was very influential in Sendak's childhood, inspiring him to draw and tell stories. Often sick as a child and confined to bed, Sendak's astounding imagination took over. He often showed tribute to the mouse via illustration. 

Self Portrait

This Sendak original is currently for sale online for $11,000. 

Google even honored Sendak on his 85th birthday with this impressive Google Doodle.

The exhibition at the GRAM continues now thru May 22nd and contains about 50 sketches. If you have fond memories of Max in his wolf suit, I suggest you check it out. 

*This editor was also responsible for a few other classics like The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, Harold and the Purple Crayon and Charlotte’s Web among others.

Personal Data

This weekend we finally checked out Graphic Design: Now in Production. The collaborative exhibit with the Grand Rapids Art Museum and  Kendall College Art and Design explores the ways in which words and images are used together to produce the visual messages that surround us. Here are two of my stand-out favorites...

Christopher Doyle Identity Guidelines

This is such a delightful concept—Doyle writes up identity guidelines for himself, including approved wardrobe color combinations, appropriate space needed around himself, maximum/minim body size, etc. But along with the clever idea, the copyrighting is spot-on, and it's a smart, tight, well-designed and relavent piece. 

Feltron Annual Reports

Nichiolas Feltron is an influential infographic designer known for his Personal Annual Reports. Shown in the reports is data for the year such as books read, miles walked, and beers drank. His use of charts and statistics is admirable, and the data collected is quite original. Such a great idea, it may deserve to be stolen ;) 

The dual exhibition runs through April 21st and the $8 admission gets you into both locations. In addition to infographics, you'll see animated openings for movies and tv, modern poster designs, and the changing face of magazines. 

At the GRAM: Opportunity Abandoned?

If you're from Michigan or have spent any time in the Detroit area, there's a new exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum that's worth checking out.

Andrew Moore's photography series, Detroit Disassembled, is part of Cities in Transition—an appreciation of the urban environment and the constant evolution of cities.

The images are startling—both in regards to their likeness to the ancient ruins found in Europe and the realization that this is a present reality—one we allowed it to happen. Each image is itself a conflict of beauty and tragedy.

There's a surreal quality to many of the prints, the saturated colors and natural lighting making the reality of the situation look almost like a dream rather than the nightmare that it actually is.

The exhibition curator from the Akron Art Museum spoke last night at the member preview. She concluded her presentation by posing a currently unanswerable question: Will Detroit become a decaying monument to the nation's past, or will it become a model for revitalization and urban renewal?

The exhibit runs through August 26th. And if you're in Grand Rapids for Festival of the Arts this weekend, admission to the museum, and this exhibit, is free. So no excuses!

Warrington Colescott: Absurdly Delightful

It's great having friends who join things!
Tonight I was lucky enough to attend the member preview for “Warrington Colescott: Cabaret, Comedy & Satire” at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Now I had never heard of Warrington Colescott until a few weeks ago when I was touring ArtPrize and came across a poster at the GRAM advertising this upcoming exhibit. (in fact, I tried to vote for this banner). Being me, I always have a notebook, and fishing it out of the black hole that is my purse I made a note. Later this is what some of what Google told me:

Warrington Colescott (b. 1921 is Oakland, California) is an American artist best known for his satirical etchings. Warrington studied painting and drawing at University of California, Berkley and while he initially experiment primarily with screenprinting, by the '60s he was focused primarily on etchings with complex color. He has a cunning wit (even now, listening to him talk at 90 years old at the GRAM tonight!) and when you combine that his sharp imagination and enthralling artistic style, the result is fascinating.

I'm a fan of screen printing, etching and block printing in general. I like the process, I like the effect, I like the tactile-ness of it. I've dabbled with these “a bit”, but what Warrington has done is like nothing I've ever seen—it's on a whole different level.

His style, though varied, is very effective– the strokes are so unique and emotional, I never would have guessed they're etched. There's also an extraordinary element of collage, his use of color is brilliant and adventourous, and… he's funny!

There's a lot of history, politics and social commentary in these image. A lot of imitation of other artist in a surprisingly accurate manner, while still being entirely unique, and true to his medium. It's a lot of a fun and if you have a chance I highly recommend checking it out.

The exhibit runs from October 28th to January 15th.
Additionally there is a display of “Inside Jokes: the Tradition of Satire in Art” running in conjunction with Warrington's work. And if you're into printmaking there is a new exhibitions “Prophets, Priests and Kings: Woodcuts by Chris Stoffel Overvoorde” from November 18th to Jan 28th.

Thanks Anne for letting me be your + Guest this evening. Hopefully I can return the favor someday!