Jeff Koons, 'Gazing Ball,
Da Vinci Mona Lisa,' 2016
Andy Warhol
'Mona Lisa,' 1963
Marcel Duchamp, 'L.H.O.O.Q.,' 1919.
Jeff Koons for Louis Vuitton
Replicas of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Leading up to Jeff Koons for Louis Vuitton
Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, a commissioned portrait of a Florentian consul’s wife, has become one of the most valuable and famous works of art in history. For this reason it has also become one of the most parodied. Among the first most notable to replicate the Mona Lisa was Dada artist Marcel Duchamp, who photocopied the portrait onto a postcard and later added a moustache and the letters L.H.O.O.Q. (a French play on words which is intended to sound like “She has a hot ass” when spoken quickly). This cheap and offensive execution of the artwork questioned the value and sanctity of it. In the same sentiment several years later, Andy Warhol created easily reproducible silkscreen prints of the painting, recontextualizing it by placing it alongside other pop culture icons like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
Ironically, these pieces which were intended to challenge the value of the Mona Lisa only added value to it, and reinforced its place in pop culture. The question of its stature now comes full circle with artists like Jeff Koons who has superimposed the image onto a Louis Vuitton bag, introducing it to the world of luxury fashion. The bag references a previous work of his, the Gazing Ball series where reflective balls are placed on replicas of monumental paintings like
Da Vinci’s, therefore inserting the viewer into the painting itself. The LV bag is designed to do the same, with its reflective lettering pulling onlookers into the Mona Lisa’s image ingrained in the leather.
HBA Windows for Barneys New York, sourced from 032c.
Hyper-RealisT Sculptors Like Maurizio Cattelan and Hood By Air’s Barneys Window
Maurizio Cattelan, 'Untitled,' 2000
Maurizio Cattelan, 'We Are the Revolution,' 2000
Maurizio Cattelan, 'A Perfect Day,' 1999
HBA Windows for Barneys New York, photos sourced from '032c'
The Madison Avenue Barney’s windows in New York has become a sort of attraction, in that its reputation for housing some of the most provocative and eye-catching displays in the city has earned its place in several tourist guides. Positioned in close proximity to Central Park, the window is seen by countless wanderers, commuters and bougie Upper East Side shoppers at all hours of the day. With this in mind, Hood By Air made the most of its opportunity when asked to design the windows to promote its Spring/Summer
2016 collection.
In collaboration with artist Yuji Yoshimoto, HBA created hauntingly realistic doll versions of its models who walked the “Galvanize” runway show in Paris the year before — each complete with distinguishing blemishes, teeth, hair follicles and original tattoos. The final display shocked passers by, as the uncanny sculptures draped in fetish garms resembled sex dolls more than they did mannequins, with mouths pried open by
jewel-encrusted gags.
The sentiment behind the installation is rooted in confrontation and subversion. In an interview with 032c, HBA creative director Babak Radboy explained that the brand's clothes are inspired by under-represented subcultures, often worn by people like himself who deal with aggression for how they dress daily. Subversion comes into play, when this tension is replicated in an unexpected public space, removing people’s choice to look. This use of hyper-realism is something we’re starting to see more fashion designers toy with, however it’s an approach which has been present in the work of many artists for years, including that of
Maurizio Cattelan.
To be able to replicate reality so accurately is a feat of skill in itself, however artists like Cattelan know the true power of hyper-realism lies in manipulating reality in a way which will provoke and confront its audience. The sculptor has made a name for himself in the art world for satirical and shocking pieces which often subvert clichéd situations — like his sculpture of a man taped to a wall. The piece was made specifically for an art show opening, and the man depicted in it is one of the show’s gallerists, who has been suspended in a way which resembles crucifixion. It is this sort of bold and shameless tension Cattelan creates in everyday scenarios, that we also see in much of HBA’s work, whether people are receptive to it or not.
René Magritte's 'The Lovers' and
Maison Margiela’s Jewel Encrusted Masks
René Magritte is one of the defining artists of the surrealist movement, perhaps most known for his painting C’est n'est pas une Pipe. However, it is his work in The Lovers which may have had a significant impact in the world of fashion, as a possible inspiration behind Maison Margiela’s iconic masks. No official statement has ever been made about the resemblance, however the relationship between the two would not be a surprise considering the elusive behavior of former creative director and founder, Martin Margiela himself.
Few images exist of the designer who refuses to bow at the end of his own shows and opts to respond via fax when contacted by press. In a 2008 The New York Times article, it was explained that the anonymity served two key purposes: "Margiela’s designs, as confounding as they may be, should speak for themselves; and, second, the work he shows is inherently the product of a collaborative team, not one person." And intentional or not, anonymity is also incredibly functional in fostering cult appeal for a brand, which it has done very successfully.
In regards to concept, one can’t help but draw parallels between the Magritte painting and Margiela's relationship to the public. Two people are seen sharing an intimate embrace, yet cannot fully meet. Perhaps a metaphor for how fans and fellow designers can admire Margiela, but never truly know him.
René Magritte, 'The Lovers,' 1928
Still from Primal Scream's music video for '2013'
Claes Oldenburg, 'Floor Burger,' 1962
Andy Warhol, 'Brillo Box,' 1964
Jil Sander, 'Lunch Bag,' 2012
Jil Sander, 'Lunch Bag,' 2012
Pop Art’s Upscaling of Lowly Objects
and Jil Sander’s Lunch Bag
Before Balenciaga’s IKEA-inspired bag — which was fairly well-accepted by fashion purveyors everywhere — there were controversial pieces like Jil Sander’s 2012 luxury lunch bag. And before that, there were pop artists like Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg turning everyday items into fine art. Though less provocative by today’s standard with social media dulling parody’s edginess, these pieces remain controversial because they continue to challenge definitions. What is original? What can be considered art? What makes a garment high fashion? And just as importantly, how are their considerably high prices justified?
What motivated pop art was an interest in realism, inspired by a rejection of abstraction. The new movement was intended to remind people of the life they lived, in a playful way which would bring a sort of frivolousness into a typically sombre and serious space that is the art world. Likewise, Jil Sander introducing a luxury lunch bag performs the same way for fashion. It reimagines something which could be seen as lowly or mundane to an industry which takes itself increasingly seriously.
Images sourced from 'Vogue' and Azuma Makoto
Rachel Ruysch,
'Flowers In a Vase ' 1685
Flemish Baroque Painting and
Dries Van Noten'S SS17 Showing in Paris
Jan Fyt, 'Vase of Flowers,'
17th century
When speaking about his Spring/Summer 2017 showing, Dries Van Noten told Vogue, “We wanted a more brutal way of doing things.” His approach to brutal however is not what most would expect. Audiences were met with spontaneous combinations of torn clothing — like workwear jeans with floral corseted jackets — while models walked between columns of beautifully arranged flowers trapped in ice. The frozen displays which stunned the show’s guests were created by friend and florist, Azuma Makoto.
Makoto had sourced and individually arranged over 100 types of rare flowers with the intention of demonstrating a Japanese perception of space and composition. He explained, “The flowers are even more beautiful in the blocks of ice, as they interact with air bubbles and light.” Though this is the case, there is no doubt the flowers also bear some resemblance to the popular still life paintings of the Flemish Baroque era. Through vertical compositions and hard overhead light, Makoto’s recreated the same drama seen in the works of painters like Jan Fyt and Rachel Ruysch.
ART VS FASHION, ART IN FASHION
Despite the never-ending debate of whether or not fashion is an art form, the two have never been shy of crossing over. Similar to art, fashion is a vestige of the time we live in, the culture we’ve developed, and our tastes. It embodies a forever ongoing tension between aesthetic and function with the added elements of accessibility and commercialism. And as clothing becomes more conceptual, runway shows more like performances, and retail displays more like curated exhibits, the gap between fashion and art only grows smaller.
Below, we begin to explore the overlap between the two, taking a look at brands like Maison Margiela, Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton and more.
