Draped closely over its wearer, Elsa Schiaparelli’s Tears Dress is the quintessence of couture. The bias-cut gown, now an off-white, was originally pale blue and clings to the body like a second, otherworldly, skin.
… Schiaparelli, Surrealism and the Society Woman
Although Scottish artist, designer and teacher Jessie M. King (1875-1949) is probably most celebrated for her delicate and often whimsical illustrative work, this short article will focus on her clothing designs and dissemination of knowledge via her how-to-publication How Cinderella went to the Ball (1924).
… Wrapped up in a fairy tale: Jessie M. King and the production of wearable designs
Anne von Freyburg recycles wearable materials to refashion 17th century Dutch paintings. Her mantra is “I paint with materials” and she deftly manipulates fabrics into images by embroidering onto canvas. Celebrating embellishment as a tool of self-expression, these ‘paintings’ use the visual cues of fashion to suggest art is more than just a decorative object.
For this issue of Decorating Dissidence we wanted to reflect on last year’s centenary of the Bauhaus. Now at 101 years, the celebrations may be over but the movement’s legacy still offers much to be learned, developed and reflected on.
… Editorial: Bauhaus Continued
Explore examples of female image makers and their contribution to Bauhaus through 5 defining photographs.
… Frauen Vision: 5 Progressive Photographs by 5 Unsung Bauhaus Women
Τhe centenary of the Bauhaus in 2019 created a unique opportunity for a re-examination of craft in the Bauhaus movement through many exhibitions in Germany and beyond.
… Exhibition Review: Craft in the Bauhaus centenary and beyond
Nwando Ebizie is an artist, composer, writer, DJ, curator, dancer, ritual creator, Afrofuturist and musician. Working across media and genres, Ebizie’s artforms explore the neuroscience of perception, mythopoesis, alternate possibilities and sensations using experimental performance, ritual and sound.
… Staging an Afterglow: Interview with Nwando Ebizie
JeeYoung Lee is a South Korean visual artist who blends magic, fantasy and reality. Her surreal set designs open up biographical glimpses into the artist’s interior life, creating a series of extraordinary dreamscapes that also function as self-portraits.
… Spotlight On: JeeYoung Lee’s surreal sets
What if backstage is everything? If the rehearsal is the performance? If there is no moment of completion – how would art look then?
… Practice-Based: On Completion, Process and Planning
We spotlight Es Devlin’s stage-level labyrinths, which offer poetic interpretations of pop star shows…
… Spotlight on: Es Devlin’s immersive stage
This image essay tracks Liz K Miller’s attempt to maintain a connection during times of isolation and confinement…
… Larch Bark & Lockdown
Tracing Mario Merz’s Cono through cultural moments and a relationship to modernity, as well as the hidden elements of craft, creation and the maker’s labour, which are all deeply woven into this wicker structure…
… Mario Merz’s Cono: The hidden power of craft
Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz offers backstage access inside the ballet studio…
… Save Me the Waltz: A peek inside the ballet studio
Interiors such as those of Gayfere House offer a valuable example of the interior as a custom-made, crafted space which took its inhabitant as its starting point…
… Impression Management: Mrs. Ashley’s Gayfere House
Behind each memorialisation practice, artists must consider the ethical implications of depicting violence without reproducing it…
… Behind the memorial: Teresa Margolles & Jason deCaires Taylor
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