Chalayan is an artist and designer, working in film, dress and installation art. Research Chalayan’s work, and then consider these questions in some thoughtful reflective writing.
1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka (1996) are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?
Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion?
“Hussein Chalayan is one of the most influential fashion designers of our age……His close are minimal in look but maximal in thought: his fascination with architecture, aerodynamics, bodily from and identity leads to designs based on concepts, or renders his own interpretation of spatial dynamics.”(Quinn, 2002)
Chalayan, Burka
In Burka (1996) his challenge was based on his cultural background. I should recognize his message behind fashion even though I discomfort his work which in too far from universality expression. It does not seem sexual so I can accept it as a part of art. I think his fashion has been a profound impact on the art. He talked social issues through his fashion. Fashion and art are obviously not the same but I can not think to separate between his fashion and art. He is among of Postmodernism which detest standardized standard.
Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000
“The round table transformed into an accordion-like skirt by removing a rounded disk from the table’s centre and pulling the inside edge up over the hips and attaching it to the waist…..Transformable clothing charts a collective shift towards multi-functionality in fashion and an interest in the new innovations made possible by modular design.”(Quinn, 2002)
“While historians and academics may challenge fashion’s claim to be a legitimate art form or a valid discipline of the art, no one can deny the profound impact it has had on the arts…”(Quinn, 2002)
I think he is an unusual fashion designer, he showed the special processing of creativeness from the past. It is so progressive and it seems to be creative to the wearable architecture from the past for the future environment. However, I can say it has the postmodernism characters that oppose to the representation of art and the unrealistic.
2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?
The Level Tunnel (2006)
“It all started back in 2006. Level Vodka invited star designer Hussein Chalayan to create a pioneering work of art with a focus on taste. He was given completely free rein. The result was The Level Tunnel - a 15 meter long, 5 meter high, traveling installation that captures the essence of Level Vodka. After a mind-blowing journey, the project is now nearing the finish line. The 6th of May 2008, the tunnel will have its world premiere in Mexico City. ”(Notcot)
Repose (2006)
Hussein Chalayan’s “Repose” was launched at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan in 2006 and comprised two separate pieces in communication with each other. The first being an aeroplane wing which balanced against a wall, the large flap of the wing moving slowly up and down to reveal a long strip of Swarovski Elements lit by LEDs. This graceful movement was linked to the second piece in the installation – a digital clock set on a timed loop, indicating speed with the movement of the wing flap. The installation simultaneously encompassed the feeling of movement and stillness.”(Swarovski, 2011) A long time ago many artist have drown by client’s needs in money so his art value is not vanishing even though his creation are involved commercial elements. Art history is evidence. Many people get an artistic inspiration from his work after ‘The Level Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) too. Personally I did not get the inspiration from him but his installation is used as one of the popular objects (vodka) and asked people for their participation. This is going into the tunnel for admiration. However, anyone cannot deny that art has already located into the daily lives of mass so it is obviously art. It has a character of postmodernism.
3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?
It is a 5-screen video piece starring fashion fave, Tilda Swinton, which plays on a flat-screen television. “It is clear that his collaborations are well respected, as his influence extends beyond the field of fashion.” (Lau, 009)
‘Absent Presence’ seems to be troubled in artificial moral and legal boundaries of Humanism. It is apprehensive of scientific value which in the trials and the results against human over the traditional Humanism. He appeared that human has taken ourselves out of the natural evolution path and can now direct our own evolution. It’s a very scientific idea and true science fiction. His idea was evaluated directly to progress technological increase.
Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)
4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?
A sense of a fashion designer would complete under the process toward purpose of the purchase and consumption to people. The process would depend on the quality of the piece so the work is produced by assistants. Meanwhile, even if the artist makes the work to people for purchase, the artist would want people to understand the representation of the artist’s sprit so I think the process can be only the artist’s responsibility.
References:
Lau Charlene, 2009, Fashion Theory, Volume 15, Issue 1
Notcot
Quinn B, 2002, Techno Fashion, Berg, New York, NY
Swarovski
Hussein Chalayan S/S 1998…Between
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/
I think if his work Burka had been made sexual as you say i would not like it but as Chalayan has done it in a tasteful statement making way i can see it as art. I like the idea of his work being multi-functional and i love the properties and qualities of the wood in Afterwards. I like the fact that his works involve interaction with the audience and viewer in the level tunnel. I agree that the quality of the work produced by others for a piece by a famous artist is important and it must be of a high quality standard but i think it is fine for other to help in the art making process
ReplyDeleteIt interesting to read your answer of question three, because I couldn't find the video. I answered the question just based on the text and the image. From the text and I think the work could also be influenced by Industrialisation, which was the fastest period developing the technology.
ReplyDeleteI like how you described the table skirt in such detail and easy for me to understand. I agree on how you quote “Transformable clothing charts a collective shift towards multi-functionality in fashion and an interest in the new innovations made possible by modular design. ” I think it is very true and a good idea to change and play around with clothes in fashion. I also like your response about the film “Absent presence ” where you said “‘Absent Presence’ seems to be troubled in artificial moral and legal boundaries of Humanism. It is apprehensive of scientific value which in the trials and the results against human over the traditional Humanism. He appeared that human has taken ourselves out of the natural evolution path and can now direct our own evolution. It’s a very scientific idea and true science fiction. His idea was evaluated directly to progress technological increase. ” It is what I feel about this film as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on question one and felt the same way. I was uncomfortable when I first saw this image, but realised there is nothing sexual, so Im sure it can be called art. I still have trouble understanding the true meaning behind it, but I guess thats the true beauty of his work. There is mystery added to it. This work will have a different understanding depending on what country you are from and also what gender you are. Every viewer will have a different opinion and all viewers will be left with a memory that will last a while.
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