The Relationship between Art and Fashion

This term as part of my Contemporary Contextual Studies course I had to write a presentation and design a poster to show how artists could inspire designer's collections. I had to chose a designer and artist to use as an example to convey this idea. Here is my final poster and presentation.

 

 

This term I have really leant that in fashion it is key that you have one eye on the future and one on the past but as the fashion cycle speeds designers do not have to look too far back when sourcing inspiration.

History as we know repeats itself and I think this is no more obvious than in the work of today’s designers. We are offered an expanding mash up of recycled styles, and as we settle into the possible post post modernism era I believe the days of linear progression are long gone.

As a fashion communication student I am taught to predict the direction of fashion in terms of advertising, promotion and selling a difficult task in this fickle environment. I think the industry has changed dramatically over the past few decades but something that is unlikely to ever change is artists and art movement’s influence on designer’s work.

To demonstrate this idea I have chosen to focus on a living artist who was at the forefront on a cultural and sociological shift and a designer said to be of a new breed that embody British design today.

Movement

Brit Art’ was a short art movement in the 90s started by a group of young British artists praised for their oppositional and entrepreneurial attitude, their drive and their innovative art that demanded media attention.  

Artist such as Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin were among this group along with the slightly less controversial Fiona Rae of whom I have selected as my artist. Together this group of Goldsmith’s graduates revolutionised contemporary commercial art with their choice of pieces that captured perfectly the attitudes to art around this time.

The 90s were viewed as a time of peace in the window between the cold war and the war on terrorism but that is all that was peaceful. Continuing libelisation, Lad culture and youth  culture along with the encouragement of recycling in design resulted in a decade of  mash-ups in just about every aspect of life. This is very much reflected in Rae’s style.

There Brit Artists were taking advantage of this liberisasion and the post modernism rules slackening. It is believed that the 90s saw the gradual shift from post modernism to post post modernism and although this period is still being determined the feeling of cross over, freedom and the potential to determine the future is what inspired these young individuals.

Artist

Fiona Rae was a painter who works were as high energy as the movement itself. She uses a mix of materials to create dynamic paintings that were humorous, imaginative and ambitious. She sees “beauty as potentially dangerous” an attitude I think adds a daring angle to her subject.

It is easy to see popular culture influences in the designs as well as a clear Japanese cartoon element that add a cool graphic art feel without losing the pace of her pieces. She is said to have taken a lot of inspiration from the comic Krazy Kat and what I love about Rae’s work is the personality she manages to capture in such visually delicate and beautiful paintings.

Her work is a great example of how the 90s post modern art movement allowed her to take references from Pop and 60s art as well as cultural art. The heavily patterned pieces contrasted with the very mechanical pieces shows an eye for detail and a control of colour. As Venturi once said Post modern art’s philosophy was ‘less is bore’ and although done sophisticatedly Rae builds onthese roots.  

Designer

Though perhaps not a house hold name I think Rae’s work has the potential to inspire many collections. When I saw Louise Gray’s SS13 collection the similarities were unmistakable. Similar to Rae, Gray is a member of a pack of graduates this time from CSM who are tearing up the London fashion scene with the potential to really determine the future of the industry.  The difference however is Louise Gray is said to be working in post post modernism, something still difficult to get my head around but seems to be  continuing on the back of this blur of boundaries between creative industries.

The result of this is her designs are colourful, free and fun; she has been described as a post post- modern Westwood- all the same daring, popping ideas but without the political agenda.

The 90s influence is in everything from the 60s designs and colours to obvious cartoon elements. The collection had a very young east London vibe with the punning, plagiarism and slogan uses made popular in the 90s.

The use of glass and plastic along with the space age styling gave the collection a kaleidoscope meets Austin Power’s feel. There was no rules followed in this collection Louise said she just thought about everything she liked but does “look back to look forward”.

The shapes, pattern and detail could have been lifted straight from Rae’s work. The pallet is very girly, youthful and playful something that both women’s work embody. I thought there was an obvious GIRL POWER FEEL to the collection with the arrival of Barbie which is excruciatingly 90s; the decade that brought us the Spice Girls and the Wonder Bra, this again reinforces how Rae’s recognition of popular culture could inspire Gray to do the same.

Conclusion

Louise Gray is practicing the freedom of a new wave of artists and designers in thes same way rae did in the 90s. Like Chanel and Picasso it will begin to become difficult to decide who is inspiring who.  There is no guessing the direction of the references and therefore trends of next season but this unpredictable environment is why I chose to study communications and I think the industry is experiencing a very exciting move into a new era and with these artists and designers working closely together I think the creativity is unstoppable.