The Ex[ie]perimental Collective

It's been a busy last few weeks.

....With fashion shows, exhibitions, submissions and work, I've definitely been doing a lot of running around. And especially after becoming a bonafide stair-master of the escalators (that go on for eternity!) at Parliament Station, I feel I can now take a little break, rest my legs and let you know about a wonderful exhibition that I was apart of for LMFF's Cultural Festival.

The Ex[ie]perimental Collective was an exhibition curated and produced by Christina Exie involving five emerging designers; Emma Boseley, Miss Exie herself, Katia Di Crescenzo, Kara Liu and myself, Helen Pappas.

Held at the top of Bourke St, the exhibitions was surrounded by the rich culture of Pelligrini's Cafe, numerous tailors, fabric stores and restaurants. So obviously the space at Von Haus seemed highly appropriate to us all. Many of the designers' work hold the ideas of traditions dear, wether that be re-invigorating or completely opposing traditions, the combination of the work spoke harmoniously and fluidly together.

It was wonderful to initiate ourselves as professional designers in such an intermit and personal exhibition. The basis of Ex[ie]perimental was to give an insight into the processes and work involved behind the finished veneer of a designers' final product. While there were many different styles and elements of process on display, each designer exhibited pieces that reflected the essence of what it is they represent and explore.

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Emma Boseley's almost intimidating, hyper-masculine collection was suspended from the walls. the height allowed viewers to marvel at her astonishing skills as a craftsman and tailor, but also at her unique fabrication. Her display created an illusion of a character, dominant and aggressive yet very suggestive and a little bit playful.

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The instillation by Christina Exie was an extension of her concepts developed during her Graduate Collection titled 'Nero'. Christina is a highly tactile designer and her experiments in playing with fabrics, materials and construction is what defines her designs. This draped, metal incrusted and corded fabric compliments her Avant-Garde designs, both in concept and aesthetics. 

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Power is not defined by size, and this is certainly the case for Katia Di Crescenzo's majestically crafted jewelry. Her pieces, which were also an extension of her Graduating range, held such emotional strength and beauty. Katia's collection of necklaces and rings seemed to transcend past time, sitting somewhere between wonder, myth and reality, making them like little crystal-balls to her inspiration!

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Kara Liu's serene pieces floated so lightly, almost as if they were the ghosts of existing garments. Kara's clever construction - aiming to eliminate certain design features, eg; pockets, while the information of their presence remained through slashes and open cuts. She seemed to explore the notion of Memory within a garment, and her display definitely illustrated her concept.

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Showcasing my (Helen Pappas) collage work, I aimed to invite viewers into a crucial stage of my designing process. For me, this is concept development. Throughout my graduate project the practice of collage became a crucial factor to my ideas and also defined my final collection. This selection of collages references the links between myth and reality as well as the symbols of masculinity, both in traditional and current environments. I was also exploring the conflict of man, through the imagery of the Spanish Matador and the business man, and in a way, creating a new hybrid of the famous Minotaur, and a shrine to the image.

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Thankyou to everyone that helped support us, and to everyone that came by.

We thoroughly enjoyed it, and cannot wait to show you more!! ;D

LOVEhelen.

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Some Links and Reviews

Media:

Melbourne / City Weekly (Fairfax Media)

Style Melbourne

Fashion Exposed

Pocketto Magazine

Blogs:

Harbour Master

Pattern Shape and Process

Milly Sleeping

"Sheer Feminine Loveliness" from Paragon Shoes

Nowdays, who doesn't like looking at one crazy pair of shoes! They could be 20 inches high, with absolutely no posibly way to walk normally in them. But we still love to look.
The Melbourne Museum is currently showcasing a small exhibition of shoes from the Melbourne Manufacturers; Paragon Shoes. With pieces taken from over 100 years, the archive highlights the exceptional style from each era. Paragon Shoes has been the most significant shoe manufacturer in Australia for the 20th Century, and this exhibition celebrates their strong craft and ability in making fashionable and quality shoes for Australian women.

Exhibition: Paragon Shoes
Where: Melbourne Museum, in The Melbourne Gallery, Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens.
When: Now till September 30 2010.
Cost: Free on consession/student pass, Adult: Fee

LOVEhelen

Endless Desires

Exhibition: The Endless Garment, The New Craft of Machine Knitting
Dates: Febuary 12 till March 21, 2010
Where: RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Cost: Free
Exhibiting Artists: Issey Miyake, Walter Van Beirendonk, Sandra Buckland, Sibling, Nikki Gabriel, Ricarda Bigolin, Mark Fast, Freddie Robins, Roland Barthes, Yoshiki Hishinuma, Cooperative Designs, Saverio Palatella,

The highlight of this exhibition (for me) was not my anticipated Issey Miyake or Sandra Buckland, but actually the smaller names in the Design field.

Mark Fast’s extensive representation in this show allowed for a strong and coherent understanding of his design philosophies, matched with a complementary body of work. I enjoyed his strong conceptual ideas concerning the tension between body, structure and fabric, and more importantly how each interplays with one another to create an intimate relation with the wearer. Each of his displayed pieces was highly successful in their visual translation from the concept to the garment.

While the more outlandish designs from the Sibling were another surprise highlight. With great visual layout, their section was as exciting as it was cleaver. With a bright pink grandma style jumper, completely embroidered in a gradient of beaded rats, to another covered by cheetah print. I liked this playful approach to the technique of knitting, which is so commonly linked to old world crafts and never really art. Their whole display became brighter and bolder with the aid of their video, which was even kookier than their work!

It was also a real treat to be able to see some of the controversial works of Antwerp based artist Walter Van Beirendonk. His philosophies are as challenging as his work, and I especially love his courage in design. He is never afraid of colour, print or controversy.

My favourite pieces in the exhibition where by the Melbourne Designer Nikki Gabriel. They seemed to have a strong ethnic and tribal feel to them, but it came through with such refinement and consideration to design. The construction of her pieces where simply incredible to me, and I enjoyed looking at them as much as I wanted put it on!

Overall this exhibition certainly delivered its message of how current and modern the technique of machine knitting is. Through showcasing exciting and daring pieces as well as the highly considered concepts that are intertwined within the technique.

LOVEhelen

Drawing: by Helen Pappas 2010
Images sourced from: http://131.170.40.30/browse;ID=ukv51cxh9odb

Consumer Expeditions

Positioned opposite the retail pyramid; Melbourne Central, is a free exhibition celebrating Melbourne’s lively shopping culture. The State Library curators have hauled thought their archives, mixed old with new and picked only the best, (just like true shoppers should!), for their ‘Til You Drop exhibition.

What I found this exhibition did wonderfully, was the vastness of time and eras which they so beautifully covered. Beginning as early as the 1880s right up to the current date, the exhibition was concise and excitingly illustrated through multiple pieces. The fashion and product illustrations created a charming idea of what fashion was in the past, while many photos documented the growth of the consumer needs. My favourite pieces in the exhibition were Mark Strizic’s photography, the fashion illustrations and the Georges section. This exhibition is a beautiful nostalgic archive, which showcases the blossoming of shopping and fashion in Melbourne.

LOVEhelen

DETAILS:
What: ‘Till You Drop, Shopping, A Melbourne History
Where: The State Library of Victoria
When: December 11 till October 31 2010, FREE
Images: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/gallery/gallery.php?title=til-you-drop

The New Still Lifes

Currently at the NGV International, twelve pieces are waiting for your attention. These pieces are so life like, that artist Ron Mueck could also be a magician. His works are so astounding and baffling, that viewers have a similar response to an audience witnessing a magic trick; they want to believe in the reality of what was just seen.

His pieces seem to suspend the subjects in a moment of time, frozen, yet not cold. As their presence conveys all the emotional, inquisitive, and thoughts built into this moment. It is amazing to feel so much from latex and synthetic hair.

I think that the realism of these pieces is what has catapulted Mueck into the International Contemporary Art world. In a society where everything is religiously documented to minute details, with most people owning digital cameras, iPhones, Internet and Facebook, it is no surprise that we subconsciously crave the same accurateness and precision of information in art again. And this is exactly what Mueck delivers.

This unbelievable likeness to life is contrasted with the monumental or minute scale of the pieces. It is this sense of proportion that Mueck uses to heighten the viewers’ awareness vulnerability and humility, creating very poignant reactions. One is constantly questioning the lifelessness of the piece, waiting intensely or hoping that something will happen. A blink, the hand twitches, but no, this is just our imagination. And it is this reaction, which I found so intriguing; so many people were baffled by this, that their interaction with the piece (staring, waiting, taking photos) was more that I have ever seen in one exhibition. First the viewer would judge the piece, and then almost instantaneously the piece would begin to judge back! Soon the other people in the exhibition became as much apart of the collection as Mueck’s twelve pieces. But this time; living, breathing, feeling works of art. Mueck not only address the facts of life (birth, emotion, pain, death) but actively relates and intrigues the society around it. Making him a truly astounding contemporary artist.

LOVEhelen





Details:
What: Ron Mueck
Where: NGV International, Ground Level, 180 St Kilda Road
When: January 22 till April 18 2010
Images: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/

Together Alone

Yesterday I spent the day in the city, and had a wander around the NGV Ian Potter Centre. There is an exhibition on for all you design lovers that you will just adore! ….Hahha! Yes, Darlings! This is for you!

Together Alone is running in the Fashion & Textiles Gallery, level two, from October 1st 2009 till the 18th of April 2010, (so you’ve got plenty of time to make your way there!!). It’s a collaborative exhibition showcasing the outstanding works of Australian and New Zealand Fashion Designers. Ranging from the soft and sensitive works of Akira Isogawa and MaterialByProduct, to the outlandish and outrageously fun designs from Romance Was Born and World. This exhibition really touches on the broad range of intellectually charged and dynamic undercurrents that have flown through our fashion industry for many years. What was interesting about this exhibition is that it theatrically entertains the viewer with bold, bazaar and embellished garments but also music and film. While this was exciting, the balance came through with the incorporation of beautifully detailed and subtle pieces, which complemented the other designers.

Together Alone, for me, was so enjoyable because it not only included designers which I already knew, but also ones which where lesser know, and ones that I had not even heard of. It is hard for me to pick out my favourite pieces, but I did make some drawings of the ones that allured me most, I really enjoyed the collection, and I would strongly recommend seeing it!!!

LOVEhelen

INFO:
Drawings By: Helen Pappas
Image Sourced: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/togetheralone/
Exhibition Details: Together Alone: Australian And New Zealand Fashion, NGV, Ian Potter Centre, Federation Square, 01.10.09-18.04.10, --FREE—
Designers: Akira, Doris de Pont, MaterialByProduct, Toni Maticevski, Nom*D, Romance Was Born, World, Zambesi.